FateDark Order
by Cosmic Sky
Summary: Heroes and monsters. Light and darkness. Good and evil. Most people think of such concepts as being absolute, but for members of the Fujimaru Family, they know the lines separating them can get blurry. War has a tendency to do that as well. A new Holy Grail War is on the horizon, and in it, one question will be asked, can a monster become a hero? Two sisters are ready to find out.
1. Prologue-Weary Wondering Wolf

**I do not own anything, well, do I wish like hell I did.**

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_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 0 - Weary Wandering Wolf**_

* * *

The void, that's what it was called. There were a multitude of other names it went by, some grandiose and others incredibly mundane and even dull. For a number of reasons, the void was the most agreed upon name. It was one that rather accurately summed up the strange dimension's nature.

Actually, it wasn't really a dimension at all, it was what one could have called an _un-dimension_.

Some would have outright called it hell, a black vacuum that stretched onward for infinity with no end in sight. All one could hope to find were "rest stops" were their sanity could be recollected and strengthened for another long pointless track across the black nothing that lay in all directions. Walking without end or direction, yes, for good reason the void could have been called a living hell all to itself. However, they were just as many who'd said it was somewhat…tranquil in its own way. In the same emptiness others found maddening, there were almost an equal number who found peace in it. Perhaps these were the souls that had grown tired of the maelstrom of existence and longed for something simpler and quiet. If so, then the void gladly answered them had they have the courage to step into the abyss.

Granted, not all creatures who found themselves wondering the infinite darkness were friendly. It was quite the opposite.

None of this mattered to the knight though. Even if he was no more than a "spirit" now, he was still a warrior, and warriors were born to fight. He welcomed the unexpected and violent fellow wanders he encountered while traveling the void. It gave him time to move away from his contemplating, especially when the deep thought left him feeling angry. The beings stood before him all came at him with the intent to devour what remained of his existence.

He slayed them all without a moment's hesitation. It was a good way to pass the time, more so given he encountered a number of strange and unusual creatures, the likes of the which the knight had not had the chance to meet in his lifetime. Still, the pleasures he received from fighting for what was left of his existence were as fleeting as the wind.

The knight did not know why he persisted in this place, this chasm of existence that was hell for some and other purgatory. He wanted to know, he needed to know, _what was it_.

_This…thing you all called a heart, this thing that filled you with that power, a power I nor any other Morlock had ever seen before. How could it have surpassed that of the Master's? Where did they find it? How did they know how to use it so effectively? What was it? What was it? _

In this place devoid of anything resembling light or even darkness, those questions kept him going. While many of those around him relinquished their sanity, he held onto his for the goal of getting answers to those questions. Maybe it was a fool's goal, but that designation suited the knight just fine. After all, what else he had to lose, and who in this abyss of life would have the gall to mock him and expect to live?

Though difficult, it was not impossible to enter the great void. Foolish as it was, there were a brave few who dared to do so of their own free will. Their motives varied and rather or not, their gambit paid off was a topic of debate. What came before the knight one "day" on his endless journey would indeed prove that his attempts at continued "survival" were worth something.

And so too, were his inner musings.

"**Ah, just as I thought," **Began a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere all together. **"Koragg the Knight Wolf, just the knight that I've been looking for, and still every bit the fearsome warrior you were in past battles."  
**

His sword came out in a heartbeat, the still-sharp end pointed directly at the possible source of the mysterious voice. Though Koragg could not physically see the entity, he could feel it. Yes, the pulse, the _power_, if his "visitor" had been hoping to get the drop on him then they'd failed miserably. Throughout their little speech, his senses worked to pinpoint the source of the sound, eventually finding it not too far from his right. For the first time since he fell through to this interdimensional chasm, Koragg saw light. It was…he'd almost forgotten what the radiance of the divine and truly mystical felt like. In the void, light was few and far between, and even then, it usually flickered out seconds after its conception. What was coming before him would not flicker, in fact, it illuminated the void like a sun coming into existence. As welcoming as it might have been, Koragg's instincts told him to remain alert. Being a creature of darkness, light was his natural enemy, and it would remain so until further notice.

After who knows how long in near-blinding darkness, the Knight Wolf's battered but still fearsome form could be seen. His armor had been cracked in several places with some parts such as the wolf spaulders were either chipped or broken off completely. The "**W**" insignia across his body was equally chipped and cracked through. Even his own sword had a few nicks in it, but the weapon was no less as sharp and deadly as the day it was forged and the last time it was used in battle with the Mystic Rangers. If anything, its unholy power seemed to react to the luminous spirit before Koragg. Perhaps some remnant of the Master's power calling for the sword to drink in the light before it. Said light also illuminated his face, revealing the crack that ran through his pitch-black visor.

"**Sheath your sword, Knight of the Underworld, I have not come to do battle with you. Quite the opposite, I come offering you salvation…and answers to your questions." **What began as pure light began to take a shape that was recognizable. As if fashioned by a set of invisible hands, the luminous welded itself into the form of a humanoid woman. She wasn't quite as tall as Koragg, or even looked like a "normal" human woman. Her skin was pure platinum as if she'd been sculpted from metal while her hair could be described as nothing put streaks of light held together in a single place. Around her, the void brightened and even seemed to shrink away as if recognizing the mysterious entity as something not to be trifled with. Koragg could very much understand the sentiment as he too fell all his senses go on full alert. A pair of silvery-blue eyes bore into him like searchlights. Her right hand rose further driving away the darkness around Koragg, and dare he even say it, putting it at a slight cease of ease.

He did not sheath his sword as she'd asked, but what he did do was lower it. "Identify yourself and explain yourself, now. I won't ask again, nor will I allow for my time to be wasted."

It really wasn't much a threat considering the being before him probably possessed enough power to annihilate his existence as if he were nothing. Still wasn't going to stop him from standing his ground, he was still a knight and he did still have his pride after all.

The "woman" found his words amusing as evident by the feminine giggle that left her nonexistent lips. **"You truly are every bit the warrior that I have suspected, and it is for that reason that I have sought you out." **A sphere of solid shimmering silver formed above her palm. Within seconds it became translucent, showing something within it - images, recordings. Koragg recognized them all too well, and they only made him glare all the harder at the entity. **"Of all the warriors offered by this world, you are without a doubt one of the most skilled…and perhaps the most honorable. Yet, in spite of all that, your end…are you satisfied with it? Are you at peace with spending the rest of your existence wandering this colorless void? Your **_**heart**_** weighed down by questions of its own existence?"**

Koragg's whole body went rigid at the last few questions. _Heart…heart…my…heart? _

What was an open palm turned into a pointed finger, said finger pointed directly at his chest. **"Yes, I did my research before coming to you. You asked me for a name, I have many names, some I believe you may recognize, but for now…you may address me as Alaya." **The change in his attitude was immediate. If she had a true face, perhaps the woman would have smirked or even laughed. **"I take it that means the Master mentioned me at least once, perhaps in a statement about devouring me whole, did he not?" **

"He mentioned it once or twice." Admitted the Morlock, keeping his grip on his sword tight and ready. "I ask again, what do you want with me?"

"**This is not a question of what I want from you, but rather what I can offer you, Knight Wolf." **The viewing image beside them changed, no longer was it focusing solely on him, instead the focus had shifted to the Mystic Rangers. He felt nothing resembling anger or discontent seeing them, quite the opposite. It was strange since as a Morlock, he should have been chomping at the bit at the mere sight of their triumphs. Most of the tension in his body melted away as he watched them battled him and his fellow Morlocks; no matter how great the foe, they never wavered, and that resolve eventually saw them through. Not even when pitted against him or the Ten Terrors did this pattern change. It was…impressive, and at the same time so baffling to him. **"What they possess, the strength which they carried with them allowing them to secure victory even when all hope seemed lost. Whereas most creatures of the dark would dismiss it, you have not. It has captured your attention almost to the point of obsession. Koragg, if I could give you answers to your questions, would you agree to my proposition?" **

If he had eyes, they would have narrowed. Instead, he merely directed all of his aura towards the entity that stood before him. It, or rather "she" did not shrink under the pressure of his gaze or his dark power.

"…Continue to speak, and should I find your offer…satisfying, then there may be an agreement to be had." He finally said.

"**In my world, there exists beings known as Counter Guardians, warriors are sworn to safeguard the world and its people. You could almost say…they're similar to the Power Rangers of your world, become one of my many Counter Guardians." **Alaya spoke with razor-sharp clarity. Koragg gave no response to the comparison, as expected of him. The azure glow of the "woman" began to brighten. All across Koragg's body, he felt it - the raw power that defied explanation and all logic. **"As a Counter Guardian, you be taken to many places throughout time and space, some of them wondrous and others frightening, even for a being such as yourself. Over your tenure, the answers you seek may be found…and your lust for battle sated." **Again, her hand stretched out to the black void beyond them. Her words seemingly echoing for miles like thunder.** "You are a warrior, Koragg the Knight Wolf, and like any true warrior you hunger for the heat of true battle. Such a thing cannot be found here in this gap between realms where only the broken and lost roam. Beyond it, legends from across time and countless lands, I offer you the chase to taste your metal against them. Become one of my Counter Guardians…and all these things you seek may just fall into your reach, but it will be up to you to seize them." **

"I would have it no other way." Assorted the dark knight, finally dismissing his sword. For a moment, it appeared that an agreement had been reached, but something glinted behind the visor, a cold fire that stared back into the all-powerful being before the Morlock. Had anyone seen the showdown, they might have been impressed with the grit shown by the swordsman. "Before I can say yes to this agreement, I will require you to agree to a few of _my_ terms. If I become your Counter Guardian, did I will go where you direct me and slay any enemies who oppose me, but I will do so _my_ way. That is not up for debate."

Amazingly, Alaya chuckled, though rather it was in true amusement or in a mocking manner was a fair question. **"Your way, yes, the way of the knight, the way of honor. Again, so strange is it to find a creature of darkness who abides by the code of honor…but you yourself are something of a …abnormality unlike the rest of your race. So be it, you will be allowed to dispatch any foes that stand in your way…your way." **

He nodded. "Good, my second condition is this, my partner comes with me." As Koragg held up his right hand, the knight's call was answered almost immediately. Manifesting from the emptiness at the drop of a coin stood the jet-black stallion adorned in equally scarred yet still grim armor. Catastros announced his existence, and his determination to come along with a teeth-rattling snort. Like his master, he too looked at Alaya with eyes harden by experience and pure guts.

"…**What would a knight be without his steed? Besides, your true power is linked to his so deprive you of him would only hamper you in your duties. Condition two, granted." **

Catastros gave a noticeable grunt of acceptance. If horses could smile, then odds were that's what the phantasmal steed would have been doing. "You speak of me accomplishing my duties, if you truly are as omnipotent and all-powerful as I've heard, then you should know what my third condition is." To empathize his point, the warrior held up his left hand. From it sprang a crackling, searing mass of flame-like dark energy. For the first time, the "woman" reacted negatively, her shining eyes zeroing in on the dark magical energy before her. It seemed like a child scared of a lighter, and Koragg knew exactly that. "As I said, you wish for me to serve as one of your Counter Guardians, then I can and will only do so access to my full power as a knight of the Underworld. Surely you saw this coming, did you not?"

Alaya's eyes shifted from the swordsman's hand to his face. **"And if I refuse condition number three?" **

"Then thank you for wasting my time." He answered in a matter of fact tone.

The blue light behind Alaya grew brighter until it completely consumed "her" form. Koragg patiently waited for the light to fade, and indeed it eventually did so. In place of the humanoid figure stood something else, a single giant sphere composed of stainless silver, several rings orbiting around it as if it were some astronomical device. The aura of power remained, though it was no well and truly fanning out, terraforming the void into something else. For the first time, Koragg felt a warm wind, heat tickling his body. As he'd heard some humans describe, it might have been like watching the sun rise above the horizon.

"…**So be it, but then, we must discuss condition number four."**

* * *

_**Fuyuki City, 2004**_

_**Three hours to midnight…**_

The fragile peace of the night was broken by the sudden and violent wind that blew through without warning. It was like the beginnings of a squall with the stale tree leaves wrinkling even more as the air itself became charged with energy. Seconds passed and it seemed as if an explosion was coming, a moment later and that's exactly what happened. It was if a hole had been punched in the fabric of reality itself, time and space distorted at the hand of an outside force. At first, the bolts of lightning that arched outward in all directions were whitish-blue, then they changed into deep purple and pitch-black. They tore into the surrounding landscape like serpents searching for prey, leaving black scorch marks where they landed. Second by second, the air grew denser until it seemed unbreathable to even the insects in the vicinity, the smallest of ants finding themselves in the midst of suffocating under the strain. A moment later and the "hole" began to condense itself into a solid shape, a sphere. With the force of a building-leveling bomb, it exploded releasing a bone-chilling gust of air through the forest and beyond while the lightning exploded outward.

Hitting the ground feet-first, the dark knight kicked up a small cloud of dust with his unexpected entry. Beneath his feet dirt crouched as all the leaves had been blown away by the force of the portal that carried him through time and space. Countless tendrils of dark smoke rose upward from his body as he slowly rose. Behind him, the pale light of a crescent moon cast its eerie glow upon his purple, silver, and black-colored armor. Brilliantly reflecting the light were the silver wolf heads that adorned his shoulders and knees, absorbing the light was the black of his bodysuit. Held tightly in one arm, was a large triangular-shaped shield from which jetted out the dark purple hilt of a sword. As the winds around him began to die down, the warrior turned his head to peer towards the sky, finding dark clouds drifting over the white moon above him.

Darkness swiftly fell upon the forest, itself not quite returning to normal thanks to the presence of the newcomer. An unseen but very-much felt shudder traveled the tree-covered terrain. The animals of the land could sense it right down to their bones, and they responded to it in the only way they could-via hiding. All of their instincts told them the safest option, the only option that guaranteed survival was by making themselves scarce. Even the fiercest of predators knew better than to test themselves, for what had arrived in the forest was something whose being was centered around death and destruction.

In the far distant, one could have said they heard a wolf howl, not in sorrow or fear like the other woodland creatures that called the forest home. It seemed almost…welcoming.

Animals were not the only creatures that were roused by the new arrival, the spirits of the dead were as well.

The knight did not wait for the souls that still clung to the forest to make way for him, he made his own way. While his dark aura faded from physical sight, in terms of spiritual sight, it was still very much there, and to anyone who saw it, fear was appropriate as well as only response. Lost souls of the distant past and recent present felt the darkness as the warrior silently moved on. They screamed in fear and anguish thought a handful attempted to investigate the source. What they saw was a demon, a creature of dark power making his way across a world that had not seen his kind in thousands of years, and was not yet ready for such beings to make their return. Again, they screamed in fear and quickly fled to the other world, knowing this world would no longer had any place for them. Had they been paying attention to the past events of the last several days, they would have realized that sooner. It was those events that had brought the dark knight here, so far from his home, and yet the more he walked, the more "at peace" he seemed to feel.

Darkness and death hung in the air like ozone before a storm. By the second it seemed to grow thicker, either by the knight's presence or by the evil generating just below his feet.

"Hey, hey! Hey! You're trespassing!" Barked a childish feminine voice.

The knight stopped in his tracks, though not because he'd been "ordered to", but because he finally sensed something worth taking a look at. Slowly, he turned about finding himself standing before the first humanoid forms of life since his arrival. Before him stood a pair, one a little girl and the other a hulking brute that seemed more a piece of stone carved into the likeness of a man. From his head flowed a mane of jet-black brown hair reaching past his neck, his eyes were crimson-colored orbs floating in a pair of black sockets. Tightly held in his right hand was a massive slab of rock that seemed to have been carved into something resembling a sword. Said weapon was held out as the giant took a fighting stance seconds after making eye-contact with the knight, as well the little girl who had her eyes go wide after scanning him from head to toe.

Immediately, the dark knight responded in kind, drawing his sword from his hilt and taking a fighting stance mirroring that of the giant.

"B-B-Berserker, w-wha…" Fear was rapidly eating away at the young girl as her own ruby-colored eyes swerved from her Servant's to the knight's. As with the beasts of the forest, the air was becoming too heavy for her to breath as evident by the tightening of her chest. Any second, it felt like her heart and the rest of her organs were going to explode from the pressure. "What…what-"

"If you wish to live, child of the Einzberns, then step aside, flee from this place." His voice was thunder itself, yet as cold as the winds of the north and south poles, making her eyes grow wider and the newfound fear in them shifted into dread. It penetrated the core of the young homunculus like a spear thrusting into its target, shocking her into complete silence.

Silently, the giant's hand gripped the scared white-haired girl by the waist then lowered her thus confusing and startling her. Her cries of shock and even protest were swiftly muted as she caught the glint in the eyes of the Greek warrior. Lips and ruby eyes quivering, she attempted to argue, but her words were wasted as all the giant did was continue to glare at her, like a parent shutting down the argument of a child. Eventually, the child decided to listen as she turned around and began walking away. Fear laced her every step as her pace began to slowly increase. Every cell in her body was telling her to run, to get as far from the coming melee as possible. Her heart, on the other hand, was screaming for her to stop and face the new threat with her Servant. The great irony was her heart itself was shuddering in fear at the mysterious knight who'd appeared out of nowhere, literally.

_H-He'll win. H-He'll win for sure, I-I-I mean B-Berserker's the strongest, r-r-right? _Repeated the homunculus over and over again like a mantra as she broke out into a full-on sprint, aside from showing great fear in them, uneasiness and worrisome coloring her eyes for her Servant, yet her frantic body told her to don't look back. Her family castle was the place she was heading for, surely as soon as he'd defeated the newcomer, Berserker would return home and things would be as they were.

Once the child was out of range, the two warriors charged at one another, their respective weapons gleaming in the light of the moon, which revealed itself after a period of hiding. The giant warrior screamed in mad fury as was befitting of a warrior of the Berserker-class. In perfect contrast, the knight remained silent as he brought his sword forth, dark energy lighting up the silver and purple sword like a beacon. Beneath their feet, the earth trembled in pure fear as the greatest warrior of Greek mythology engaged a creature who would soon come to shake the pillars of humanity as they were.

* * *

_**Fuyuki City**_

_**Midnight…**_

"Ah, so you've come at last."

The woman's words were as empty as the golden shine of her eyes. If she had any true emotions left in her body, she might have been in shock at the otherworldly glyph lighting up the sky above her. Truly, it was a thing of both wonder and horror to spectators, who themselves did not know what to make of it. Artoria knew what it was, indeed, it had been centuries since she'd seen a magical seal such as the one before her, and even then, it wasn't quite as powerful as this one here. If she hadn't already cast away her humanity or reason then she would have been scared, well and truly scared for the dark color and aura of the circle signified nothing short of a disaster. For better or for worse, disaster had already arrived.

It was like gravity, an all-powerful force against which resistance was futile. Not even the Shadow was capable of fighting it, though that didn't stop it from trying. Its tentacles lashed out in all directions like a raging cephalopod trying to anchor itself onto something, anything. The struggle actually came off as a tad bit amusing to the Blackened Servant in spite of the fact the creature was essentially her backup. Since he never really asked for the assistance, she felt nothing for it struggles; not even the fact that its destruction ensured her a tougher fight ahead was enough to get her to act. With muted interest, she watched the squirming black and red-colored creature become trapped in the electric tendrils that sprung from the magic seal. Its constant jerking told her the pain it was in was immense.

Rather it was a blessing or a curse, its pain didn't last long. A second magic seal appeared directly below the first, this one rotating in an opposite direction. Artoria's ears picked up the sound of a chant which caused the second seal to begin moving upward, its own lightning bolts jetting outward in all directions and meeting those of its twin seal. In-between the two, the Shadow's struggles grew fiercer as it sensed the end approaching, alas, its fate had been decided. Just as its existence had been horrid, so too was its end. First were the ends of its tentacles, which it had used to drag Lancer to his final end, those caught fire first. Burning green and black, the flames began to spread across the rest of the body just as the two seals became separated by mere feet then inches. Between them, the Shadow screeched in agony as its darkness-composed being was broken down and dissolved like a chemical compound.

One final screech came, and then the entity that had plagued Fuyuki City's magical residents were no more. The raging waters that had sprung up in accordance with the spell began to calm, if only temporary as the magical seals disappeared, their purpose having been served.

The human spectators stared in open mouth shock at what they'd just seen, their eyes barely able to believe what they'd just seen. If she had any emotion, Artoria might have smirked at their dumbfounded expressions. Still, it was hard to blame them, even experience magi would have been completely blown away by what they'd seen. After all, it had been thousands of years since humans had laid eyes on True Magic, much less _**Dark Magic**_. Speaking of which, the caster of the spell made himself known as he came bounding across the field, his vintage knight armor illuminated by the shining moon overhead.

"You have come to stop me." Stated the Blackened Saber, both hands on the hilt of her equally blackened sword.

He came to a sudden stop directly across from her, his own gaze as piercing as hers, and his voice just as sharp. "What I have come is to stop the monstrosity within the Holy Grail. All I see before me is another obstacle to be overcome, though I will admit…you are one that I have indeed been looking forward to."

Her head fell as her glare increased in intensity. "Mere hours ago, you slew Berserker using power the likes of which I have not seen since Vortigern himself. Perhaps that power is enough, perhaps it is not. Regardless, I cannot allow you to continue to live."

The dark knight stood resolutely against the harshness of her gaze, in fact, he returned it with equal intensity. "Should anything remain of your warrior spirit, then you know there is only one way this dispute will be resolved."

"Then draw your sword, dark knight. Let this tainted blade feel the cold steel that you carry with you." Commanded the corrupted Servant. Seconds later and a dark aura exploded from her, sending hundreds of surging waves across the water.

Meeting the black aura was the purple and black-tinted aura of the knight, his own power radiating across the land like the prelude of a storm. For the seventh time that night, the air cackled with power serving as a warning to all that what was to come would be nothing short of a natural disaster, one that would claim the lives of anyone foolish enough to still be in the vicinity.

Unfortunately, such people still were.

"Boy," Commanded the dark knight, not even bothering to turn away from his opponent. To the side, the young redhead flinched at having the deep voice directed toward him. Though he did not completely break down in fear as the Einzbern child did, he did flinch. The frantic beating of his heart was almost pitiful to hear. "Go, this is not your battle, nor is the woman before you the same warrior you once fought beside. Accept that and go before your foolishness claims another life, especially while there is still one to be saved." His words penetrated to the core of the young man, who seemed to have snapped out of his previous daze. Though he continued to stare at the knight for a moment longer, he eventually heeded his advice and turned on his heel to join his compatriots. Quickly enough, their footsteps were nothing but faint echoes to the superhuman beings.

"Fool." Barked the corrupted knight.

"Save your breath for fighting." Calmly fired back the dark knight who at last drawing his sword, which glowed with a new shimmering light. "Now, en guard, _King of Knights_! Show me the _**worth **_of the strongest holy sword!"

Around the pair, the water exploded like a pair of torpedoes had been set off. The two black-armored warriors clashed blades, the air igniting within seconds of their long-awaited meeting. Beneath the stormy waves, the lakebed began to crack like glass. Soon enough the rest of the landscape would follow, and should the dark knight fall, then so too would the rest of the world.

* * *

_**Fuyuki City, Einzbern Castle**_

_**3:33 AM…**_

"That was…quite a battle, perhaps the fiercest battle I've ever fought, comparable to even my struggle to the tyrant Vortigern."

"You…yourself, more than earned your title, Artoria Pendragon."

In spite of the grievous injuries done to her, the King of Knights found it in herself to smile. While still hollow, there was a modicum of true emotion in it. Just as in mathematics, putting a negative and negative together yielded a positive, perhaps the same could be said for putting corrupted light and darkness together. Maybe the dark power of the tainted Grail and the power wielded by the wolf-themed knight had canceled out some of the corruption that had eaten away at her, restoring a small fraction of her original self. It didn't really matter in the long run, she will not last for this world much longer, and yet there was a small part of her that would have liked to have stayed a bit longer. No, what time she remained had to be fruitful as the warrior before her had proven himself to be that which was needed.

She'd lost all faith when the black mud of the Grail consumed her, and so this agent of the World had brought a small fraction of it back. What remained of her "honor" dedicated she answer that.

Using his sword as a crutch, the helmet-wearing knight was able to maintain an upright position. Though the weapon had taken several earth-shattering blows, attacks that blew apart mountains, it did not show signs of rust or even cracks. Blood-stains, blood belonging to the house of Pendragon, colored the once glittering weapon a dark shadow of red. Before the next moon had risen the weapon would shed more blood, given what she'd learned about the knight, it would only be the blood of the wicked and guilty.

"What is your name?" She questioned, her breath coming out in short whiz and pants that showed the unimaginable pain she was in, and yet she persisted in going on.

It took him a minute to collect himself, his own severe injuries visibly hampering him. Like the fading Servant, he too gathered the strength to stand tall and proud and identify himself. "My name…I am Koragg the Knight Wolf. Once a knight of the underworld in service of the Master, I am now a knight of Alaya, and I have come here to end the evil that is Angra Mainyu."

Artoria Alter's eyes briefly shut as she processed the information. "Ah, the underworld, the…Black Kingdom. Yes, it all…makes sense now, not only was your magic strong, stronger even than Morgan's or even Merlin's, but far darker as well." Though it caused her pain, she managed to laugh, her blood-stained lips twisting upward into a smile. "Not to mention…you…fought like a demon, but one with…honor. Against…me…of all people. How…ironic."

Koragg bowed his head, his voice somewhat softer than it'd previously been. "I merely treated you as your position and status deserved, King Artoria Pendragon. As I said, you truly lived up to your legend."

Another pain-filled laugh left her lips. "My…legend, Knight Wolf, my legend…was a road of blood littered with failures left and right…but it was one…that only I…could have walked. It was one…I chose…with this sword, this sword…that I now pass onto you."

Almost the whole of her legs were gone, not that they were much good anyway. With what remained of her strength, the corrupted knight managed to lift her sword arm. With its wielder thoroughly beaten, the glow of Excalibur Morgan had deemed, though the red glow of the faerie lettering of the blade still hummed with red luminescence. If Koragg had eyes, they would have narrowed, though not in anger or caution. Without a word, he kneeled and reached out with his left hand, itself broken in several places yet still maintaining the ability to function. The moment his fingers touched the weapon, his dark magical energy jumped from himself into the weapon. Ownership of the Noble Phantasm was rewritten in seconds, cutting off its connection with the fading King of Knights. When she went, the weapon would remain, and in good hands it would stay.

"Only…the darkest…of warriors…are fit to wield Excalibur Morgan…and yet, only the…strongest of warriors…are fit to wield Excalibur." Whizzed Alter Servant, her once hostile golden eyes quickly glazing over. "What you showed me here tonight…for a moment…it reminded me…of the foolish little girl I used to be…and the harsh and fierce person…my sister and father were, and yet…they remained true to who they were, unlike myself. As a Counter Guardian…as a demon…as a…a…knight, p-p-perhaps you…can do like them. Use…this accursed blade…as you see fit…use it well, Koragg…the…Knight Wolf."

Yellow had changed into green, hazy and discolored, but still twinkling with a spark of life. Artoria Alter's face was oddly peaceful, though in Koragg's mind, it had every right to be so. A solitary wind blew through the scorched battlefield that had once been the Einzbern Forest, flames crackling all around them. They provided a soft melody for which the King of Knights to fade away completely, her once dark form reduced to little more than a bloody dress barely hiding scorched and mangled flesh disappearing into particles of gold-colored light. Koragg held out his hand, watching some of the light particles dance around his fingers before they too were carried away by the wind. Amidst the crackling light of the fires, they sailed skyward, into the star-studded darkness before disappearing completely.

His own sword disappeared into its subspace container as Koragg painfully stood upward, his hand now occupied by the black-blade formerly belonging to the King of Knights. Expecting the weapon, he found it every bit as beautiful and dreadful as when he first laid eyes upon it. "Farewell, King of Knights, may we cross swords in earnest on a better battlefield." Whispered the Morlock, his head bowed in respect…and even hoping that his wish might one day come to pass.

_**Fuyuki City**_

_**4:05 PM…**_

"What…what…what…what…are you?"

It was the question she'd asked the night before, it was the question that had kept her up all night, and it was the question that had nearly driven Illya mad as she counted the minutes, hours, since the titanic battle had cost the little girl her Servant. The slayer of said Servant stood before her, having just saved her life.

Except given what she'd seen and the way he was looking at her, she truly feared all he'd done was save her for last.

Powerful, fierce, _**demonic**_, those three words perfectly summed up the creature that stood before her, the low light of the evening sun illuminating his purple, black, and silver armor. All of it looked just as pristine as the night before, maybe even a little more so given the glow of the new weapon the knight now carried. Not once did he turn to truly face her, his back turned to her with only his head craned to the side. In his hands was a sword, but not the same weapon he'd used to slay her Berserker, it was something new, something _**dreadful**_.

He was dismissive of her in his posture and voice, clearly seeing Illya for the frightened girl she'd been reduced to, that she'd always been yet so passionately tried to hide. "I am merely a knight on his quest, nothing more. Now go back to your brother, he will be needing your care when all of this is over."

The shield she'd seen earlier returned, and into it went the new sword, its holy and unholy glow dying down as it was sheathed. Completely turning to his back to her, the knight departed, his every footstep as silent and calm as that of a man trivially walking down the street. But to Illya, she saw no man.

All her wide, terrified eyes could make out was a giant, dark-furred wolf, one whose ferocity surpassed that of any creature she'd ever seen or could know. A mixture of panic swelled inside of her, overriding the relief she'd felt at her life being saved from the clutches of Cursed Arm Hassan. As the wolf vanished into the sea of trees he'd come from, the feeling proved too much for Illya to bear, causing her to blackout. In her dreams, she searched for her Berserker, praying she'd find him before the monstrous wolf would.

* * *

_**Fuyuki City**_

_**Dawn of a New Day…**_

It was over.

His mission had been completed, and dare Koragg say it, he'd even found it more enjoyable than he'd originally expected. Admittedly, he'd have to concede a point to Ayala when he saw her again. She'd said he'd find some "things of interest" on this particular mission, and her words had been proven true. In retrospect though, his "employer" was practically omnipotent so doubting her came off as rather stupid. That said, as Koragg had learned, even the "all-powerful" weren't above errors or failing to see things coming. His new existence was a testament to that fact.

Koragg had heard a saying during one of his many "quests" as a Counter Guardian, "In imperfection lies beauty."

He wasn't quite sure why, but he found something…comforting, enlightening even, in the phrase. Being the sort of person he was, such thoughts were quietly filed away to the back of his mind.

Dawn was breaking over the city of Fuyuki, the first dawn in which the darkness that had covered it had been lifted. Other more boastful warriors might have taken credit for shattering the veil, but Koragg was not one of them. Yes, he had his pride, but he also knew of his duties. As a Counter Guardian, the actions he'd carried out throughout the previous day and night had been just that - his duties, and nothing more. Granted, even he'd taken a bit of dark satisfaction in destroying the worm that was Zouken Matou. Not even Imperious had incited as much ire within the Knight Wolf as the "head" of the Matou family had.

Speaking of the Matou, he supposed now…they…no longer existed. After all, something told in the next few years or so, the last one would be changing her surname to Emiya.

"So, that's what he was like in his youth. No wonder that man possesses such a strong stupid streak of foolishness and rashness." Chuckled the knight, watching the young redhead and his lover embrace one another in the glow of the rising sun. Of course, the Tohsaka child sat in the rumble just a little way off, doing her best to look away. Truly, human romance was a subject he wasn't quite sure he'd ever understood, nor was he sure he wanted to.

Much had been lost in the mess that had become the Fifth Holy Grail War. Technically, there wasn't exactly a real winner since all the participants had "dropped out", not to mention the Grail itself had been destroyed, by his hand no less. The outcome, however, was still leagues above some of the other wars he'd seen were there was a winner, one who'd crossed any and all boundaries to claim what they thought was theirs. In their mad pursuits, they'd crossed a line that had caught the Counter Force's attention thus he was sent out. Most of those engagements had ended with nothing short of death all around, but there were a few outcomes where he'd seen a "glimmer" of light through the ruins that remained. This was one such time.

Even if he thought of Shirou Emiya as a fool, he was a fool who'd followed his "heart" through to the bitter end…and it had seen him through impossible odds.

Just like…just like _him_.

_Truly, _Began the dark-armored knight as he began to fade away while the morning sun's rays grew stronger by the second. It was quite fitting, night had ended and with it, his time was up. Though a Counter Guardian, he was still a creature of the dark, and darkness was always burnt away with the advent of light. _This thing called a heart…it is indeed a baffling thing…but the power it seems to grant humans…it really just might be mightier than any blade in all the realms of existence. _

As the Knight Wolf had came with darkness, he left with the emergence of light, his duty fulfilled and himself somewhat content in it all. Down below, in the battered ruins of a collapsed temple and a shattered artifact of doom, a young man broke away from his rescued love to glance toward the direction of the distant skyscrapers. He wasn't quite sure how to place it, but something told him…he'd done as he'd originally intended - to help those in need. More so than the dark-haired girl in his arms, he couldn't shake the sense that he'd helped someone else as well. The feeling was as mysterious and wondrous as the bright orange and red lighting up the formerly dark sky.

His task completed, the warrior returned to the great beyond from which he'd came.

* * *

**There's the first piece of what will definitely be a long and epic story featuring more (anti)-heroics from Koragg and a soon-to-be introduced cast as wild and diverse we've all come to expect from a Fate story. **

**As you can probably guess, this prologue took place in a world **_**resembling **_**Heaven's Feel, parallel worlds and all that. Yes, Koragg fought Artoria Alter…and won. How did he win and why did she give him Excalibur Morgan, questions you'll have to read the story to find out, and see what other adventures he's had as a Counter Guardian. The idea came from a friend who sold me on it, and I'll admit it, I'm rather taken with the idea, especially with cases like EMIYA. I found there's actually quite a bit of room to experiment. **


	2. Chapter 1-Summer of the Witches

**Here it is, the first official chapter in what is going to be a long, explosive and outright insane epic the likes of which I never would have imagined without help from a good friend. To said good friend, thank you and for all the help and giving me the chance to write this story. Now then, introducing this story's heroines! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 1 - Summer of the Witches**_

* * *

_**July 10**__**th**__**, 2042**_

_**Jyougi Public High School, Tokyo, 2:45 PM…**_

As much as she wished it could be so, another minute of sleep was out of her reach. It wasn't too much of a loss, she'd be able to get all the sleep she wanted in the coming weeks. Provided life was as dull and quiet as it'd been in the last week or so. Helena wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. She liked her excitement a tad more than the average person so slow and steady wasn't quite her thing, it was her sister's. Well, summer was on the horizon, she supposed they'd have their equal share of excitement and relaxation. Granted, summer wasn't officially here _yet_; she still had another day or so for that. Hopefully. That made raising her head to meet the waking world a tad easier.

"Ah, nice of you to awaken from your nap, Helena." Came the voice of the lord of the classroom. She didn't hate Mrs. Ohaya, quite the opposite, but she couldn't deny that her attention span had begun to wonder by the time she reached the brunette's class. A quarter of the time anyway. She was used to it though as evident by the resigned sigh upon her face. All Helena did was grin sheepishly as she'd done since she was a child.

Stretching her arms upward, she ignored the snickers and snorts of her classmates. Her turquoise-colored eyes fell upon the chalkboard. "Do you want me to say it or write it down on the board?"

She already knew the answer, and Mrs. Ohaya knew she knew. Grinning, Helena pushed back her chair and got to her feet. A confident grin on her face, she strode past the desks of her classmates to the light-screen board. Gripping the digital pen, she took one look at the various sentences before her. Deciphering code wasn't as hard as doing the math for her. In fact, when it came to written problems and ciphers, she actually found them to be a tad enjoyable. Then again, she was sure only people like her sister enjoyed doing math problems. Helena's arm moved forward and back, her eyes scanning the board with analytical interest. Behind her, she could hear the continued chatter of her classmates, some were amused while others snorted in annoyance. Barely four feet from her, Mrs. Ohaya let out another sigh, but it was a happy one.

Placing the pen down, she turned to face her brunette teacher. Personally, she liked to believe her antics kept the class going, it was after all the last class of the day which by then most people, Mrs. Ohaya herself included, found themselves a bit burnt out. Helena saw it as her personal job to breathe life back into the classroom.

"You did it again." Spoke the chestnut-haired woman with a crooked smile.

Helena returned the smile with an innocent one of her own. "What can I say? While reading, my mind wandered off into how things would turn out, I thought I could spice it up a little. I actually think the hero trying to go rogue and go rescue his girlfriend is better than him spending the next dozen chapters crying and whining like Chiyako after she gets anything less than a B."

A visible wave of snickers rolled through the classroom, and even Mrs. Ohaya contributed to it. While it did go against the rules of the school, the forty-one-year-old couldn't help herself. Towards the far right of the classroom, the person in question gave the Japanese-French girl a venomous smile. The day Mrs. Ohaya saw that she'd be having Helena Fujimaru and Chiyako Akanishi in her class together, she'd braced herself for a daily verbal firefight. Even worse, they shared space during the last class of the day, long after everyone was most likely burnt out from the school day and ready for classes to end. As she'd predicted, the year had been filled with a number of incidents and near-incidents between the two girls. To her credit though, Helena had gotten better, Chiyako, not quite.

Glaring at the pale-haired girl from across the classroom, the venomous smile deepened. "Well, at least we know what your future career path will be, Fujimaru, tabloid writing. Should be quite a nice and fulfilling life for you." Honey-colored eyes flashed with thinly veiled malice. "Provided there's anyone out there willing to take a look at your pathetic writing and take its marketable."

"My writing, last I checked I had the highest grade in language, foreign language, and one of the highest grade averages here." There was a brief pause as the pale-haired girl knocked her knuckles against the digital board behind. The domestic and foreign language teacher groaned as she watched the growing ripple across the hard-light construct. Even a simple "love-tap" from the older Fujimaru was enough to put the board under considerable stress; thankfully though, Helena knew her own strength. Most of the time. "Why don't you come up here and translate a couple of lines out of this novel. Should be easy for the sixth-smartest girl in school, right?"

For a moment, it looked like Chiyako was about to get up and do just that. Her own copy of their assigned novel was being gripped so tightly in her hands, it looked as if the redhead was going to leave puncture holes in the book. Either that or throw it at Helena, possible consequences be damned, especially since it was the end of the school year. It wouldn't be the first time for such a thing, and probably not the last.

Having seen it all play out, the green-eyed teacher decided to finally step in before things went off-course. "Alright, alright, that's enough you two. If you still want to go out, move it to a different classroom after the bell rings. Helena, you can take your seat now." The light board was deactivated leaving it a stretching black canvas, just the same as the day school had started some months ago. Though there were times she smiled, it was rare for the students of her class to see her looking so relaxed. One could have chalked that up to the fact it was the end of the day and near the end of the year. In a way, that answer was correct, but there was more to it. Her smile wasn't just one of a teacher, but one of a mother, a proud mother at that. "Now, I won't drag things out with some long speech about how proud I am for all of you, most of you probably already know that." Another round of chuckling went up from the eighteen teenagers seated before her. "We've had our bad times…and our good times, but I'm going to treasure all of them and I hope you all will. This year of teaching you the wonders of foreign languages have been fun, and I look forward to seeing most of you again next year."

Rather by design or luck, the bell rung barely a minute after she'd finished speaking. While dozens of arms stretched forward and cries of relief and joy went up, several students shot the older woman a beaming smile. Chief among them was a certain pale blonde. She remained in her seat, fiddling with her phone while her classmates got up and began to move about. Mrs. Ohaya knew perfectly well what Helena was doing, not even the end of the year could change her classroom habits. Patiently, she waited as various students came up to her to give her a hug or some last words before heading out the door.

As expected, a cold smile was directed toward Chiyako, who returned the expression with equal malice.

"Dear God, I hope I don't have to go through that again next year." Sighed the brunette, creasing her brow while leaning against her desk. "And if by some fluke, someone else ends up having you two together, I'll pray for that person."

"Pray for them? You can give them advice! Come on, Ohaya-sensei, you did pretty well keeping me and Chiyako from tearing each other apart!" Proclaimed the seventeen-year-old, finally rising from her seat. Marching past the rows of deactivated desks, she held up her head. "There was the end of the first week where you stopped us from throwing our hard copies of Shakespeare's complete works at each other, and you caught her trying to hack into my desk's digital projector, you did the smart thing and gave _both _of us detention instead of just going straight to the principal and having us suspended-"

"You came pretty close to that a couple of times though, not on my watch, but still." Huffed the older woman before motioning for her student to continue.

"When you could have just failed either of us, you gave us a chance, even when we gave you some serious shit." She paused, then grinned. "And my cursing, you handled that pretty well, even when you knew I was doing it in several different languages."

The brunette couldn't hold back the coming laugh, or rather, she didn't try to. The class was over as was the school year so what restraints bound her were practically nonexistent. Besides, somehow, Mrs. Ohaya always felt an odd sense of liberation when talking to the half-French girl whenever time permitted such a thing. "Well, first off, you were rather obvious about it. Sure, you can speak almost ten six different languages near perfectly, but people can still have a gut feeling when they're being insulted. Second, I _am _one of this school's foreign language teachers, one in charge of teaching multiple languages, including ones that are no longer spoken in the modern day. And three…I…was once young too."

Helena grinned, seeing the way she tried to play off the last reason. "Come on, it's not like you've started showing gray-hairs…have you, sensei?"

"Have you seen anyone? Perhaps I just pluck them out every morning before coming to work." Fired back the language teacher. "Besides, I doubt I'm the only person who's hair you turned gray this year. Honestly, there are times I don't know if I should envy you for having such a pale color as your natural hair color."

Thankfully, by the time she entered high-school, Helena had become used to cracks made at her hair. It wasn't until her teenage years had the remarks begun to turn positive instead of negative, and she could handle people making jabs about her pale blonde hair. First and foremost, she was proud of it. Not only did it make her standout but it came from her mother, the woman she loved and respected in all the world. Anyone who made a remark about it, she took as a shot at her. And Helena, well…she was the more "fiery" one of the Fujimaru children for a reason. A damn good reason as several in the past had found out the hard way. When it came to comments like the ones made by her teacher, Helena couldn't help but wonder what her hair would look like when she began approaching her twilight years. It wasn't like the thought scared her, but curiosity crept into her head every now and then.

"Well, there's always next year. One more year than I'll be the problem of some college professor, would it be alright if I still came to visit you? For old time's sake? You could let me teach a class or something!" While a flame was lit in her eyes, a shadow fell over the teacher's. It was listed, or perhaps reinforced by the crooked smile the brown-haired woman wore as she pictured Helena teaching a class of students, ones perhaps unfamiliar with her…very open personality. Truly, the results were either the stuff of nightmares or the wildest of dreams. Seeing she'd gotten one last rise out of her teacher, the turquoise-eyed teen lightened up. "Seriously though, thank you for the year, it was pretty fun. A lot better than I thought it would be."

Smiling once more, the language arts teacher shook the outstretched hand of her now former student. "Thank you for making this year exciting. I'd be lying if I said there weren't some wild times, but like I said, I enjoyed them all. I look forward to seeing you next year, Helena."

"Already figured it out, huh?" Sheepishly grinned the younger female.

"That this was your last day? Helena Fujimaru, while you may be many things, stupid is far, far from one of them." Mrs. Ohaya's expression turned soft as she sat back into her chair. "So, do you and your sister plan on going anywhere out of the country during the break? Perhaps in Europe or America?"

"Hoping I'll bring you back some souvenirs like I did over winter break, aren't you? Maybe, hopefully, all kind of depends on our parents."

"They're coming back from their business trip today, aren't they?"

"Yep! Just in time for the summer! Talk about awesome timing!" Just as it seemed she was ready to leave, Helena paused. Her nose twitched as her hand grabbed at the green-colored bow that sat at the heart of her blue and white uniform. In one swift motion, the fabric came undone. "Ah, much better."

"I suppose that's the last thing I should thank you for, actually wearing your uniform properly." Mused the teacher.

"Hey, it's my last day so I figured there was nothing wrong with throwing the dog a bone." She replied. Helena stopped again at the threshold between the classroom and the hallway. "Seriously though, thank you, and see you next year, Ohaya-Sensei."

Waving at the pale-haired girl, she replied, "Just promise me you won't do anything too crazy this summer. Have a nice vacation, Helena, and I'll be looking forward to seeing you next year, as a senior."

"_À la prochaine fois_, _professeur_."

The door hung open in a slight crack, a habit that Helena had retained. In a way, it was her promise to return to class, eventually. Mrs. Ohaya had been teaching for the better part of twenty years so she'd seen a great number of kids. Some who seemed destined for great things and some who…she'd rather not say. A handful she'd taken a shine to. When she first met Helena Fujimaru, she doubted the pale-haired teen would become one such student, the school year of 2042 had been a happy surprise for her. Glancing to the side, where the summer sun was shining in full brilliance, she wondered how the outspoken girl would spend the remaining daylight hours, and the days beyond this one.

Had Helena given her something even resembling a straight answer, the human woman would have fainted on the spot.

* * *

_**3:29 PM…**_

"Took you guys long enough, I've been sitting here for almost an hour."

The statement was meant with a series of eye-rolls and chuckles. No one doubted the validity of the youngest Fujimaru's words, in fact, rarely were Ryoko's statements dismissed; it was a smug satisfaction she took pride it, but she tried not to let it go to her head. Most of the time anyway. Sitting cross-legged against the ripe old tree the group called their "home base", she gave a solitary wave at the approaching six teenagers before going back to playing with her iPad.

"So, is anyone going to have to take makeup exams?" Innocent and straight-forward, exactly what one should have expected from Ryoko Fujimaru.

"Kahoru still has makeups exams to take, she says it's worth it. Oh," Helena's grin grew malicious as she turned her eyes to the chestnut-haired male sitting beside her. Said male instantly began sweating bullets. "Now, Itaru here…just barely made it!"

A pair of hands went up into the air while a round of snickers broke out amongst the group. "Seriously, did you _have _to bring that up, Helena? I mean, I passed, isn't that enough to be thankful?"

"Hey, someone was going to say it, are you really surprised it's Helena who does it?" Chuckled the dark-haired girl to Itaru's left. As per expected, Miwako reached into her backpack and withdrew several bags she proceeded to hand out to the rest of the group. "Ladies, gentlemen, my annoying little brother."

"Four seconds." Seethed Daijrō Sakuma, only to be calmed down by Ryoko's hand on his knee.

"It's a tad early since we don't have the full gang here, but I say we toast anyway. For making it through another year!" Proclaimed the second older sister of the group. "After this, only one more year to go and then we're free!"

"Here, here!" Echoed the oldest Fujimaru, pulling out a half-filled water bottle from her bag. "Eh, we're free until we have to decide where to go for college. Then suffer through four to six years of more academic torture…then if we make it through that we'll be out on our own in the cruel, cruel world…anyways, to an awesome summer!"

Ryoko rolled her eyes, but raised her water bottle in unison with her sister. The rest of their group followed suit, not necessarily with water, but with whatever drink they had on hand. Afterwards, everyone pulled the strings on their bags. Immediately, the sweet smell of freshly baked pastries flooded their noses. Little time was wasted as the six teenagers dug into the rich chocolate chip and peanut cookies their friend had created specifically for this day. It was yet another reason they'd been looking forward to this day like a handful of other students. Said students populated the courtyard in which they now sat in.

For some students, it was their last day, for others they still had little over another week to go. Regardless, the sun was out, the wind was pleasant, and the air itself seemed to be filling all who inhaled it with youthful energy. It was evident in the near hundreds of students who littered the area. Lively chatter could be heard from every corner up to the front doors, which remained open when normally they would have been closed. That too was one of the features of Jyougi High school, especially on the crisp of either spring or summer break.

"So, how was your last day? Anything unusual happened?" Questioned the older Fujimaru, giving her sister a pointed look she knew all too well.

"Nope, were you able to work up the nerve to talk to Genzo?" Came her clipped response.

"No, no she wasn't." Came five voices in unison.

Frozen mid-bite, Helena glared at her assembled group of friends. The Sakuma siblings merely shrugged their shoulders then went right back to eating. Itaru stuck his tongue out, clearly showing this was his payback for her earlier jab. Noriyo returned her glare with a grin that heavily implied she was ready to add onto the statement. Helena warded her off with an invisible aura that promised a world of pain if she chose to yield to her temptation. Luckily for her, someone else beat her to it.

Helena's skin crawled as she sensed the presence of another one of her friends approaching, this one in particular she recognized. It took nearly all of her willpower to keep from visibly groaning in discomfort or moving to keep said friend from opening his mouth. "It's actually worse, guys. She saw him three times today, and all three times Helena got cold feet and couldn't spit out anything meaningful." All heads turned to face the newcomer. Save for Helena, they were all smiling. Arinobu had not only thrown away his tie, but unbuttoned his uniform a bit revealing some of his chest. The day the weather began to turn warm, the redhead gradually abandoned the school's dress code, much to the delight of the female student population. That went for almost all the girls present…save for one.

Ryoko did her best to avoid meeting Arinobu's gaze, which was easy since he seemed to be focused on her steaming sister. Still, she couldn't help but steal a few peeks at the hazel-eyed male who attended school with her older sister. "S-So, t-that bad, huh? Couldn't even work up the nerve to wish him a nice summer break?"

First, the older sister shot her redhead friend a sideways glare. "_Salaud_,"she snarled beneath her breath as Arinobu scooted into their circle. Still giggling, Miwako passed him a bag of baked goods. "For the record, I know Genzo has a lot on his plate so I didn't want to bother him. Besides, it's not like we won't be able to see or talk to each other over the summer."

"It still amazes me how you managed to get him to give you his number, then again, he does seem to like you a bit more than he likes everyone else." Noted Noriyo, placing a finger to her chin and tilting her head. "I mean, sure he's nice enough, but our local gangster prince seems to be just a _wee _bit nicer to you than most. By any chance, you haven't placed some sort of spell or curse on him, have you?"

A look of proud indignation on her face, Helena crossed her arms and held her head up high. "I don't know, maybe Genzo just realizes the girl who isn't shamelessly throwing herself at his feet is the one that's worth taking an interest in. You never know."

"Yeah, who knows, maybe by graduation you'll be able to talk to him without tripping over your own words." Mused the younger sister with a cheeky smile that Helena matched with a forced grin.

"Mighty impressive words,_ petite soeur_. Last I checked though, I'm actually able to talk to my crush face-to-face instead of just hide behind a corner and talk them from afar."

Now it was Ryoko's turn to tighten up. Everyone was suddenly reminded of the fact that the fourteen-year-old was the youngest member of the group in spite of probably being the smartest. Smartest, not wisest, that was a debate for another day. This day, however, it seemed to inquire into the love lives of the Fujimaru sisters was everyone's interests.

"You know, I'm gonna miss you guys. Well, miss talking to you in person, it's not like none of us are ever going to see each other again." Laughed Daijiō while his sister handed him a napkin.

Itaru heaved out a sigh. "Seriously, it sucks that this summer I'm the only one who's going to be staying in-country! It's not fair! Noriyo, you get to go visit China as part of that stupid journalism program, journalism! Daijiō, Miwako, you two…you two get to jump on a plane and go half-way around the world! You're the closest any of us are probably going to get into space!"

While her brother pumped his fist in excitement, Miwako rolled her eyes. It wasn't much, but it was the best the brown-haired teen was going to get. "For the record, I'm not too excited about it, unlike my star-for-brains brother here. Space colonies, satellites, that stuff doesn't interest me. Not even the fact that food can now be taken up into space safely and astronauts don't have to eat some stupid crap out of a tube."

"Hey, maybe if you get lucky, you'll be one of the first chefs to cook-up a five-star meal in one of the stations, or even a colony if all goes well." As surely as clouds passed, the shine had returned to Helena's face. Though she wasn't as into the technological developments of the age, she kept herself informed. Having a friend in her inner circle with a borderline obsession with going into outer-space helped. "Just think of it, potentially opening up the first restaurant or bakery in space, you could even end up serving aliens. As for you, Itaru, lighten up! You're going to Hokkaido, that means skiing and hot springs galore!"

"I can't believe you're actually encouraging him," Arinobu snorted before his face twisted into a smirk. "That is unless you're referring to him getting his ass beaten for peeping."

The target had changed yet the laughter remained the same. After a brief moment of anger, Itaru crossed his arms in defiance and turned his head. "Like you're one to talk, Arinobu! Last I checked, you've come to school with a bloody nose just as much as I have! And you've been my wingman!"

"Yeah, two idiots in a pod, peeking on women and getting their asses kicked for their troubles. I'm still trying to figure out why the hell we hang out with you guys." Ryoko said, looking between the two boys as if they were laboratory specimens. "It actually makes me a little bit worried we won't be able to keep an eye on you two to make sure you don't get into too much trouble."

Arinobu rolled his eyes, in contrast, Itaru fixed the Fujimaru sisters with a focused stare. "Anyways, where the hell are you two going? I mean, even Kahoru said she's heading to Korea so she can meet Hyun-woo's family, and we already know that Arinobu's got plans to head down south, way down south. But what about you two? I mean, you said you'd let us know, but so far you've been pretty tight-lipped."

Helena looked to Ryoko, who looked back at her. Onlookers knew the routine. Both sisters had the same thought in their heads, they were just debating who was going to be the one to vocalize it. Ryoko won out. "It's a bit…complicated. We're going somewhere, or we want to, but we need parental approval. Yeah, we know, sucks balls."

"Aren't your folks supposed to be getting back tonight? What's the destination? South America?" Noriyo joked, focusing her eyes on Helena.

The older sister didn't take the bait. "Eh, we'll tell you if we get the chance to. Just know we don't plan on letting the summer be a bust." A moment later and the pale blonde had jumped to her feet. Her shoulder-length hair swayed in the wind as if to serve as a sign that she and her sister weren't going to be tied down to the island nation. "Now then, anyone up for hitting the town while the sun is still out?"

"You're going on like we're in winter or something." In spite of the remark, Ryoko was smiling as well, and she too was on her feet. The energetic shine in her eyes mirrored her sister's, and it was quickly reflected in the eyes of their inner circle. In seconds, each were on their feet, their faces beaming in one form or another at the prospect of venturing into the bustling city that lay around them. Trash was thrown away and arms were held up high as the group of six blended into the steady stream of students trickling out of the gate into the outside world.

* * *

_**Yotsuya, Shinjuku, 6:58 PM… **_

When most people heard the word, "kakugyō" they probably thought of the shogi piece, or at least those that knew Japanese culture to a certain extent. For Helena and Ryoko Fujimaru, the word meant something quite different - it meant home. The neighborhood they called their home, the place that contained their nest.

Two-story and a rare few three-story houses, along with a dozen or so apartment complexes. Built going on over eight years ago, Helena still retained vivid memories of her family moving from the noisy and bustle of the Minato Ward. Their mother hadn't exactly been too enthused at the move, but gradually, she'd come to enjoy the neighborhood as the rest of them had. Kakugyō Block had been a newly built addition to the neighborhood, and their father had practically jumped at the chance to move into one of the homes. Granted they all knew he would…spice it up a bit once all the paperwork and payments were taken care of. Practically the day they moved in, he'd begun to do just that with the rest of the family pitching in.

From an outside view, the house didn't look quite as different as those that surrounded it. At least, to ordinary humans. Five barriers, two the color of pale green and three bright red, all with a series of mystical writing running the rim of the domes. When the girls passed through the barriers, each one rippled like a finger being poked into a pond. For the beasts inside, that was the first sign, the smell was the second.

"Heh, looks like they're not back yet." Ryoko mused as the sisters took off their shoes and moved into the hallway that leads to the kitchen. There, she found one of their family's pets helping himself to one of the many bags of potato chips. "Just couldn't help yourself, huh, Agenór?"

Having a pet was normal for the majority of families. Said pet typically being a dog, cat, hamster, or some sort of mundane and non-lethal animal. A dragon? Well, that was what some could have called unusual, and that even extended to magi families. The Fujimaru Family was certainly out of the ordinary as the two-foot red-scaled dragon sitting on the kitchen counter could attest. Crumbs littered the beast's face and the countertop on which he lay. In-between his clawed hands lay a red and black-colored bag of Lays potato chips which by that point surely empty or close to being so. Emerald-green eyes looked between the sisters, both of whom were smiling at the mystical creature.

"I couldn't help it, I got hungry. Besides, it's not like it's the last bag or anything." Following that statement, the fire-attributed dragon went right back to his eating. His tail wagged as he felt Ryoko take a seat by the counter and scratched at his neck. Helena made way for the frig, swinging it open and examining the contents with narrowed eyes. While she truly cared for their winged little pet, she never once forgot that he had a rather big appetite, a trait he inherited from his father. "By the way, your folks called, they're not going to be back until almost nine o'clock. Why they don't just fly back I'll never know."

Two cans of soda pop were placed on the counter while one bottle of fruit juice was brought before the small-sized dragon. The second Agenór's eyes spotted the apple-juice-flavored liquid, he forgot his late evening snack and grabbed at the bottle. "For the same reason, we wait until night to take you out, or use witchcraft to make you look like a dog. Because if people saw it, they'd go screaming for the hills. Forget animal control, I'm pretty sure we'd have the government trying to catch and dissect all of you. The last thing we want is _another _national incident involving a Phantasmal Beast going on a rampage and cameras catching it."

"But I'd get along of hits on YouTube, wouldn't?" Inquired the beast. "More so than that giant knockoff with bullhorns, right?"

While the older sister and dragon had their discussion, Ryoko checked the voice recordings their parents had left. Indeed, they guessed their time of arrival to be between nine and nine thirty. That gave them almost two hours all to themselves. The younger sister felt a grin beginning to tug at her lips, especially once she realized that there was a chance that traffic would stall their parents if they really were taking a car back home. Helena felt her sister's smile upon her and looked up. In seconds, both girls had a grin on their faces. This didn't go unnoticed by the pet-sized dragon sitting in between them.

His lightly-armored wings flapped, carrying the beast upward. From where, he moved toward the pantry where he threw open the door, his eyes spying for anything he could eat. "Feel free to do whatever you want, I'm staying here so I can finish watching my stories." After procuring his desired snacks, he went to the frig just as Helena had done a few minutes earlier. The two girls watched in silence as the small dragon stuffed its arms with as much food as it could carry, and still maintained its ability to stay in the air. Granted, they knew that Agenór was _much _stronger than he looked, even when in his "house-sized" form. "Try not to burn anything down or cause a scene! I don't want to be listening to either of you complaining about starting your summer vacation of being grounded, again!" Called the green-eyed reptile before prompting himself down on the couch in the living room.

Neither of the pair bothered to protest the statement, partially because they didn't wish to relive the memory. Needless to say, since that summer almost three years ago, they'd been a lot more careful in their outings.

Within their respective rooms, the superhuman girls deposited their school uniforms. While Ryoko folded hers up and put it away, Helena outright balled her black and blue-colored uniform into an unruly mass that was stuffed in one of her drawers. She clearly didn't plan on taking it out again until laundry was due. Not ten minutes later and both girls were out and standing on the rooftop of their home, their attire more suitable for the activities they were about to undertake. Gone were the skirts and bows they had to wear as part of their respective schools' dress codes. In the early July heat, shorts were the appropriate attire for one to wear, especially if they planned on running. Sneakers had replaced the brown and black slacks they'd worn for most of the day while t-shirts covered their upper bodies. For all intents and purposes, they looked like two girls about to go out and enjoy a walk on the town; that's exactly what they were going to do, but in their own.

A thin but incredibly powerful rubber-band held Helena's shoulder-length hair in single braid that stretched wildly down her back. Ryoko had no such need as she kept her own pale-blonde hair short, her way of distinguishing herself from her sister. That didn't stop her short strands from whipping in the air as she bolted from the rooftop alongside her sister. Their footsteps spent a solid second touching those of the nearby homes.

To human eyes, they were blurs, dismissed as a trick of the eye and nothing more; provided one was even able to catch sight of them as they moved from place to place. In seconds, their leaps took them higher, to the tops of nearby apartments and so forth. Of course, they didn't stop there, not when there was so much more waiting for them.

Sunset had colored Yotsuya in the countless bright colors and elongated the shadows along the streets and roads. All over street lights and nightlights automatically began to switch on. Naturally, the those who lived for the nightlife began to come out as well; their whispers, their feelings, the sisters could hear it all as they dashed through the air above the heads of hundreds. From time to time, they listened in, at others they merely listened to the sound of the wind rushing past them. It was a sound the sisters had become used to, they'd heard it since they were young. In a way, it had almost become another lullaby for them, putting their minds at ease even in the most troubled of times.

The skyline of Shinjuku was truly beautiful when illuminated by the last rays of sunlight. Hundreds of skyscrapers, millions of people, and the sisters soared above them all. Their feet were touching solid ground one minute, and in the next they were soaring gliding across the air. In spite of the excitement, they were careful in their superhuman leaps. Sure, most people were too distracted to notice a pair of girls bounding whole buildings in a single leap, but they'd learned t value caution when they were out. Their target was always a nearby rooftop and never the side of a building least a pair of wondering eyes find them, even for an instant. Helena and Ryoko had come to make a sort of game out of staying out of sight.

Sprawled out before them lay the glistening ward. Heavy in their ears were the sounds of the Shinjuku nightlife coming out. It'd be almost another hour or so before it was out in full. As luck would have it, just as the urban beast came out, they had to be back home. One hour wasn't much time, but the girls knew how to make the most of what little time they did have. The girls locked eyes and grinned at one another before taking a running start towards the edge of the skyscraper they were currently perched on. All the way, their mouths whispered in their mother's native tongue, albeit in a tone that caused the air itself to shake with power.

Helena reached the ledge first and kicked off with such force her feet left an imprint on the railing, "Josse!" Called the oldest.

Barely a second later and her younger sister followed her into the air, her lips calling out a name as well. "Labrouste!"

Far down below, the citizens of Tokyo heard and felt it, a shift in the atmosphere, minor as it may have been. Most people paid it little mind and kept walking, but a handful knew in their bones that something had happened. Heads looked upward to the increasingly darkening sky; all they found were evening clouds floating along a multi-colored sky. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so they kept on walking. Of course, that went for those in the bustling crowds who had no logic of magecraft or the supernatural. For those that did, they were able to at least sense it, the presence of beasts the planet had not seen in hundreds of years.

"Finally! I've been waiting for the chance to stretch my wings!" Bellowed the black-scaled dragon while its owner chuckled in amusement. A pair of nightmarish, spike-tipped wings spread outward, cutting through the clouds like a knife through butter. Though he'd been repressed from roaring, the red-eyed dragon let loose a throaty growl as he was finally able to taste the air of the human world, and at the best possible time. He felt the pores across his body open as they sucked in the last rays of sunlight. Against the mish-mash of darkness and light, the dragon blended in quite well, albeit at hundreds of feet up there were few that could see him, which was exactly what the sisters wanted.

Amused at his ally's actions, the red-scaled mount of the younger sister chuckled. "Well, look on the bright side, perhaps from now on we'll be able to see some action, Josse, that should serve to stave off your boredom."

"We're going to do you guys one better, we're having a race." Stated Ryoko, patting the neck of her dragon. Immediately, she sensed the fire dragon's excitement through their emotional link.

"Where to?" Inquired the green-eyed Phantasmal beast as his lips twisted into a grin. Unlike Josse, Labrouste looked more…fantastical, at least when it came to expectations of what a dragon should have looked like. His scales were red as the last vintages of the day with mixtures of orange and slight gold mixed in, a line of spikes running from his neck down the spine to the tail. A trident-tipped tail swayed back and forth.

Josse chuckled at the thinly veiled excitement in his fellow dragon. So too did his rider. Helena stood proudly atop the black-scaled beast and pointed her finger to the far, far east. "The other end of the Rainbow Bridge, then we'll go from there."

There was a split-second grin from both the mount and rider, then they were grown. Labrouste's frontal wings were beating against the air, the flaps like light claps of thunder. Snorting in both annoyance and amusement, Josse took off after his friend, his owner laughing as the sky zoomed past her. Cloaked by the magic of their owners, the two dragons were no more than shadows, mirages passing through the darkening sky. Unseen and unnoticed, the two beasts soared across the booming metropolis of Tokyo, the skyscrapers and monuments that made the city iconic becoming little more than blurs to the two teenagers riding atop them. Though lost to the rushing wind, the creatures could very much hear the laughter in their respective riders. It gave them joy that manifested in their own barely repressed chuckles. Truthfully, it didn't matter who won the race, it would be the first of many for the next coming weeks.

Or, that's what they thought.

Labrouste had inched ahead and was about to claim victory when he stopped. His front wings were pulled up and his tail swiftly swayed to the side, a habit of his he'd retained since the day Ryoko had hatched him. Josse had a brief moment to wonder what was going through his fellow dragon's head when he sensed it as well. His red eyes widened, then narrowed as his black wings came to a clear stop.

"Uh-huh," Groaned Ryoko. Helena didn't even bother to say anything, she'd shut her eyes and lined her senses with those of her dragon's. She did the same. In her mind's eye, a translucent layout of Tokyo Bay spread out before her, thousands of tiny sparks flickering in and out of existence. They were ignored as none of them presented anything that could have caught the dragons' attention. A moment later and Ryoko found it, or rather, she felt it. Two pulses, violent, powerful, and most importantly - foreign. "What the hell?"

"We're checking it out."

Neither of the dragons argued with the older witch, nor did the younger of the pair. All she did was give her sister a look of caution before adhering to her order. Their exuberant expressions were gone, straight frowns had taken their places. It wasn't the first time a fun afternoon had been interrupted; time had taught the Fujimaru sisters that in the capital of Japan, life was rarely if ever too dull.

The dragons smelt the blood while the sisters felt the flames. Blood and fire, one of the worst combinations possible.

Alight with roaring flames, one skyscraper stood out in stark contrast to the dozens around it. Fire was eating away at the building's side and quickly spreading upward and downward, partially due to the nonstop explosions rocking the building. Ear-popping in their intensity, each blast rocked the entire building, threatening to bring it down at any second. The ground was, as expected, covered by police, firemen, news crews, and civilians. Lots of civilians.

"Well, this is certainly one way to start off the summer." Mused the long-haired sister before reaching out with her mind. Hundreds of humans were within the building, and their life energies were disappearing like flies dropping on a windshield - a killing spree. "Ryoko, we're going! I don't know what the hell this thing is, but we're stopping it! And we are _not _going to let mom and dad know!"

"Goodluck with that last part." Chuckled the black-scaled dragon. His keen sense of smell was able to make out several scents amidst the towering blaze. What unnerved him was the scent mixed in with the smoke and blood…it smelled almost…feline. "Can't we just launch a fireball and blow the building to kingdom come?" Josse growled.

"Yes, and cause a national incident by bringing down a building belonging to one of the world's biggest tech companies." Ryoko answered.

At least Labrouste kept his attention focused on the burning skyscraper within their sight. Unlike his fellow dragon, he was a bit more involved in the affairs of humans. The multi-story building under siege before them belonged to a tech company specializing in communications and hardware development. Though human technology still remained elusive, he could understand enough to know what was valuable. Even magi had started to get with the times and adapt a little, though what they were witnessing was far beyond what the Association or Clock Tower would have permitted. Provided magi were behind this mess. He doubted so on account of the fact he barely smelled one _whiff _of magical energy, or at least the kind he associated with _humans_.

"Ryoko, Helena, watch yourselves in there." Was all the red-scaled dragon said as he and his comrade came upon the burning skyscraper. The chorus of murder and destruction was much louder in their ears.

The sisters had outstretched their arms and reached into the spatial bubble they used to store a good number of their magical items. Helena pulled out a red scarf written upon in black Greek lettering while Ryoko's had an inverse color scheme. Both girls muttered a single phrase before throwing the cloth around their necks. As far as human eyes were concerned, they were phantoms, nonexistent identities whose movements and actions would be dismissed as tricks of the eye. To magus and the likes though, they weren't people to be missed. Medea had fashioned the scarfs to mask their presence, but should the need arise, the girls were fully capable of blowing past the enchantment and letting would-be adversaries know how powerful they were.

That power flared up around them as the two girls leaped from the necks of their respective dragons. The creatures growled in encouragement before disappearing into arrays of red and black-colored light particles, silently returning to the pocket dimension that belonged to the Fujimaru Family.

Helena and Ryoko crashed through the glass into a world consumed by searing hot flames and blaring alarms. Coming out of their rolls, the pair stood up and looked around the burning office space around them. One look upward and they could see the sprinklers had been working overtime, and had done little good in putting out the blaze surround them. Turquoise eyes met and two mouths opened. The flames that once consumed the office space were quickly sucked inward into the mouths of the teenage witches, who stored the energy within themselves for future use.

Barely a moment later and the building shook. Loud and clear as the sound of steel bending and breaking, as if an entire section of a lower flower were giving out. Based on the tremors, Helena and Ryoko suspected such a thing was happening, at least before they sensed the approaching danger. Bloodlust, primal and unrestrained, it made their hair stand on end. Helena's right fist was raised and reared back.

And then it was launched forward, just as the ground in front of the sisters exploded.

_**Boom! **_

First and foremost, the half-French teen felt something metallic beneath her skin. While metallic, it was alive as her ears picked up an inhuman, bestial, yet male voice screaming in pain mere seconds after the collision. Dust and debris were kicked up yet the sisters remained stationary, waiting it to clear. They saw a hole before them, formerly were their would-be attacker had tried to emerge, and were Helena had knocked him back down.

"Mig! Mig! Are you alright?" Came another voice of similar vocalization to the first.

There was a groan of pain followed by a feline snarl. "Gah, I'm fine! Dammit it all, this was supposed to be an easy job! Who the hell did that? I'll rip 'em to shreds!"

"_Robuste mots_, Robo-cat!" Barked the oldest of the Fujimaru siblings. Narrow eyes looked down and examined the robot-like entities beneath them. While they were most certainly feline starting with the cat-shaped heads and features, their bodies were humanoid, and covered from head-to-toe in armor. The sisters had seen enough sci-fi to recognize cyborgs when she saw them…even in real-life. What they were seeing, though most certainly humans in powered suits of armor or something of the sort, they were real. "Woah, robotic cats, I guess someone must have hit up some sort of military base, or some stupid scientist and a magus got together to create these things."

"Maybe, we can always go ask-"

Ryoko's eyes widened as she watched the green-tinted cat-cyborg pull out a pair of blasters-tipped with blades. Rather than dodge, she charged straight forward. Her left arm twitched and manifested a series of red-tinted scales before she swung it forward, just in time to meet the energy blasts that exploded forth from the barrels. The unknown entity had just enough time to step back as the younger sister smashed her fist into the ground, then immediately went on the attack. The stream of curses that had been building in the creature known as Mig's fang-filled mouth not left as his attention was focused on keeping the fighting fourteen-year-old at bay.

Thoroughly alarmed, the second cyborg readied its own weapon, a cleaver-like blade with a glowing orange edge. Helena's eyes ignited at the sight. "Hey, forgetting someone, pussy face!" The energy she'd gathered from the earlier blaze exploded outward from her palm. Her initial blast succeeded in pushing the creature back. When he looked back ready to shout some profanity, the teen was no longer there. She was right behind him, and on the attack.

Face met ground, and then sword met air in a vengeance-fueled attempt at retaliation. The orange-chested cybernetic feline tried again, Helena dodged, and followed it up with a jab directly to the stomach of her foe. Her foe fell backward, then counter-attacked. Meeting the high-tech weapon was a spin-kick that sent the blade flying out of its owner's hand.

"You're going to pay for that, human!" Screeched the monstrous feline, throwing punch after punch in the seventeen-year-old's direction.

She was dodging them, all of them. Slowly but surely, a feral grin was forming on the long-haired teen's face. It fully manifested once she caught the approaching right jab with nothing but her fist. "My turn, let's find out if you just spark out or if you've got some blood in you!" Force was applied, and pain was the result. First, she jabbed her knee into the beast's gut as hard as she possibly could. Beneath the force of her attack, Helena heard metal bending and cracking, causing her grin to deepen. Still holding onto her opponent's arm, she twisted it over her shoulder, the pulled lifting the mysterious creature above her before its back met the ground. "Since you're new here, let me tell you guys something." The right foot was raised, a cloud of blazing-hot fire manifesting around the limb before it was brought down with the force of a sledgehammer.

Fire and plaster exploded upward as the ground cracked and gave away. Helena and the downed feline disappeared into the resulting smoke and dust, leaving the younger sister and green-tinted cyborg to continue to duke it out. Neither of them had been blind to the events occurring before them.

"Benglo! You, you bitches! You're going to pay for this!" Screeched the creature, bringing its arms down atop of Ryoko, who shrugged off the blow and countered with a spin-kick to the left side. While not as powerful, it left Mig with a lingering sense of pain that his sensors told him to be cautious of. "We, the Fearcats, won't be defeated by humans, not again!" Energy surged between the joints of the left armor before it was rocketed forth, its destination being Ryoko's face.

Beneath her feet, the ground cracked, but it did not give, nor did Ryoko's armors. Through them, she looked up, revealing the now harden look in her normally calm and cool eyes. "Fearcats, is that what you guys are called? Sounds like a bunch of Saturday morning show villains!" Breaking off, she gave Mig an attack of her own, a flaming ax-kick that had him falling back and drawing his blasters. An aura of crimson surrounded the younger sister, deflecting the energy shots from the cyborg's weapons. She spotted the brief look of shock in its eyes before launching herself forward.

In the split seconds before she impacted his chest, Mig flipped his blasters into a reverse grip. It was the best he could do, but it wasn't enough.

"GAAAH!"

It took three whole floors before he was able to find the strength to do something about the fourteen-year-old girl using him as a battering ram. When Mig slammed his fists down, there was a green-colored shockwave; finally, the youngest witch felt pain. In that moment of pain, Mig kicked her away. She rolled across the floor once before she was back on her knees and coming back at him with fire in her eyes, literally. In turn, Mig poured his power into his left hand, raising it to meet the human girl's incoming attack.

Everything that hadn't been touched by the previous surge of destruction was certainly hit hard by the shockwave generated from the two fists colliding with one another. Ryoko and Mig were each forced back a step, it didn't last long as both combatants quickly went back at each other.

_**SCREEECH! **_

Mig bit back a curse as he watched the armor chunks and blood fly from his right arm. Instead of a human arm, he was looking at a dragon's limb, on a human's body. His sensors told him what he and his fellow Fearcat were facing weren't human girls, not even empowered ones like those cursed-

_**Boom! **_

Seconds before the attack could hit, he jumped out of the way. The scorching-hot blast completely blew apart the floor, and the ceiling above it. Mig had a second to wonder how his comrade was doing before he caught sight of the approaching dragon-clawed girl. His blades came out and were used to stall the attack before it could reach him. The standoff didn't last long as their respective partners came bolting through the already cracked ground a moment later, scratching and clawing at each other.

"Ryoko!" Shouted Helena, stretching out her arm. Her sister got the hint and quickly followed suit.

Mig's eyes blazed with feral fury seeing the flames within the two girls spark to life then mix together into a massive, crackling fireball. One hit from that and he knew he'd be feeling sore, if not worse. The sight of it, the _unity _showed by the sisters, it inflamed every nerve in his cybernetic body like a match. Green energy manifested around his body along with faint arcs of lightning. No! He wasn't going to be defeated! Not again, and not by human hands! Especially a pair of humans wielding the power of one of their most hated foes!

"Mig! Mig! Pull it together, we have to retreat! We have what we came for!" Shouted Benglo, violently grabbing his associate's shoulder. "Come on, we didn't fight through that hell just to get ourselves killed by another band of lousy humans!"

Now large enough to obscure the sisters, the fireball released a thunderous boom seconds after it was fired straight at the Fearcats. All of their built-in sensors blared at them, screaming for them to move before the attack connected.

Helena and Ryoko watched in cold interest as their attack plowed through the floor, and the wall behind it. After that, it merely kept on going before reaching the fall wall between the building and the outside world. That's when the explosion came, a teeth-rattling sound that once more shook the entire building like a bell. A literal wall of red-hot fire went up before them, though neither of the sisters let themselves be deceived by it. Normally, Helena would have cracked a joke or two about the property damage they'd just caused; instead, she wiped a smidge of blood from her lips. Upon the clearing away of the flames and smoke, the night sky illuminated by the lights of Tokyo met her eyes. As expected, their unity attack had blown a clear through hole in the building, something that was more than likely going to be all over the news for the next couple of days. It almost made her sad that she no longer had to attend school as all of her classmates would be talking about it.

"They got away," Growled the oldest, taking a step forward. Already, she'd become a tad familiar with their scent. Though seemingly cyborgs, they still bleed, and they sure as hell weren't humans. If some magus had created them in a lab somewhere in the city then she wanted to find out who and why, preferably before the Magus Association got involved.

Ryoko gripped her sister's hand. "Later! We have to put the fire out, now!"

"What's got you so stressed?" Inquired the older one with a raised eyebrow.

Cross-eyed, the short-haired girl grabbed at Helena's shoulders. "Six minutes! We've got four minutes to get back home before mom and dad make it back!"

Immediately, the witch's eyes went wide as saucers. "MERDE!"

Freeing themselves from one another, the two spread their hands out and opened their mouths. Instantly, the flames around them were sucked into the magical vacuums that were their bodies. Those still in the building, firefighters perhaps, would no doubt be at a loss to describe what was happening. For that, well, they'd leave that part to the Association to deal with. Again, it wasn't like this was the first time the girls had caused a bit of a scene. At the very least, this time the building in question was still standing. Tendrils of red, orange, and yellow flowed into their fingertips, palms, and mouths as it were all natural air. Though the smoke remained, it wouldn't be as much of a problem.

Helena finished first with Ryoko following suit. The older sibling didn't even wait for her sister, she darted toward the exit leaving Ryoko to trail after her. Bolting through the makeshift entry they'd created, the pair dashed up the side of the building, reaching the rooftop in seconds. As they'd done before, their feet pounded across the pavement of the rooftop, and when they reached the ledge the girls kicked off of it leaving sonic booms in their wake. From their backs sprouted wings, their design draconic and their makeup ethereal. Amidst the lights of Tokyo, they glittered like twin beacons, blazing stars soaring across the now thoroughly darkened night sky.

"You know, this isn't the kind of race I had in mind!" Yelling was the only way for the shorter-haired sister to be heard over the wind, and her own thundering heart.

"Maybe, but you gotta admit, it gets your blood pumping, doesn't it!" Offered the oldest, putting on an audacious grin. "Come on, if we hurry, we may be able to come up with something believable!"

Echoing Helena's grin, Ryoko put more energy into her wings allowing her to keep pace with her. Side by side, the two kept blazing away, all the way across two whole wards of Tokyo, unseen and unnoticed.

* * *

_**Throne of Heroes…**_

She heard the pounding of his hammer, signaling that he was working. Not surprising given his last venture had resulted in the Knight Wolf attaining quite a buddle of supplies and materials for him to work with. That was one thing that made him stand out amongst the other Counter Guardians, the Knight Wolf never let anything go to waste when it came to doing his duty. It was an admirable trait, one even the EMIYAs found appealing and praiseworthy. Alaya herself supported the habit as it meant her dark knight was always prepared. And if not, well, he was just as resourceful as he was powerful.

"**I hope it is acceptable I didn't knock."** Began the "woman", hovering behind the man currently at work at the forge. A mixture of black and purple flames jetted from the kneel before the armored warrior. Some would have argued that Koragg was a tad too direct, but given his history, such a thing was only natural. Unlike some of her other Counter Guardians, he was "dressed for duty" at all times. Truthfully, duty was what he'd been created for, and he did an excellent job at it.

"You speak as if you're going to come in one day and catch me in some embarrassing situation. I told you, that is not nor will it ever be part of my station." Flat and straight to the point, the Morlock had definitely retained his sense of self throughout his countless missions since that day. "What is it this time? I can sense you are…you are…" He was surprised at what he found, though it was hard to tell given his face was a literal helmet with no eyes or mouthpiece. That didn't mean his emotions couldn't be felt. The being before him took a small bit of proud at the fact that she was making him feel one emotion that didn't quite come easily to him - confusion…and potentially worry. "What is happening to you?"

Subconsciously, her left arm covered her right wrist. It was a very human-like gesture for such an inhuman creature. **"As you can probably guess, there is a…threat afoot somewhere in the multiverse, one that will require every ounce of your abilities, and more." **

Silently, the warrior of darkness rose, his full imposing figure now on full display. If he had eyes, they would have narrowed into slits. Koragg's right fist flexed and unflexed before tightening into a fist. "Where and what? Tell me, what is my mission this time?"

The inhuman entity in human form cocked her head to the side. A smile formed on the near featureless face. It set the Knight Wolf on immediate guard whereas others would have found something to relax at. He didn't pretend to know all the details regarding the cosmic force that had recruited him, but he had picked up a few things. For a deity supposedly beyond human comprehension, Alaya was capable of some very human-like feats, or that's what Koragg believed anyway. At times he wondered if it was truly who "she" was or if she were merely putting on an act for him. So long as their agreement continued to be mutually beneficial, he tried not to pay it much thought.

"**Your mission…will be revealed to you in time,"** she began, stepping toward him. He remained quiet as she reached forward and took hold of his clenched fist. Though lacing solid eyes, the knight could feel her beaming at him**, "And the answers you sought for to the questions you've had…you have my word, this adventure will provide them for you. You will…find the answer."**

* * *

**One chapter down, and who knows how many more to go because trust me guys, this is going to be one WILD story. The three primary heroes of this story have been introduced, and yes, this is a next generation fic. I'm pretty sure you've all figured out who the mother of our heroines is, she's is in fact, my favorite Grand Order female Servant so I'm proud to be able to write a story featuring her and Ritsuka's family and their future. Speaking of which, the family patriarchs will be making their appearance next chapter. **

**I'll say this right off the bat, this story is going to be a blend of fantasy and sci-fi considering it takes place over twenty-plus years in the future. Technology's made some leaps and started to mingle a bit with magecraft, or in other words, the entire premise of Chaldea's become less absurd in-story. Since Power Rangers is going to be the other half of the cross over, expect a good chunk of the franchise (western and eastern) tropes to be played with and so forth. The cast is going to gradually grow as the story progresses but there's going to be a core cast and supporting cast with focus sometimes shifting. Like I said, this story's going to be in the line of an epic on the scale of Grand Order so I promise you this, it's going to be one hell of a ride. **


	3. Chapter 2-Lighting the Match

**I'm glad to see this story has been able to garner some interest. Since I failed to mention it last time I'll say it this time, this story is connected to my previous stories, "Dragon's Fire" and "Holy Night for the Unholy". There will be some callbacks to them and little snippets of the d'Arc Alter family. **

**Before we begin, I'd also like to give this warning to fans of a certain gender-flipped Saber. Please brace yourselves for this chapter, it's…not going to be kind to her. **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 2 - Lighting the Match**_

* * *

They had two things to be thankful for - one was that the window had been left open, and two was they'd done this so many times they'd figured out the dynamics. Yes, the dynamics of literally cannon-balling into one's room after flying on a dragon at breakneck speed.

Helena went first, leaping forward and landing on her hands, then falling into a roll that would have made any acrobat or gymnast proud. "Quick, find something normal to wear!" Barked the oldest to her younger sister. One look at their "work-out" clothes and their parents would connect the dots in seconds. They wouldn't even have time to come up with a proper excuse.

Luckily for them, one of their family's many pets had thrown them a bone. To the left lay a pile of clothes, evening clothes they could throw on and not have to worry about being questioned about. By the time Ryoko came through, Helena was already in the midst of throwing on the shorts and t-shirt that had been laid out for her. The former quickly took after the latter. Once she was finished, Helena was bolting down the stairs with her sister following in behind her. Sweat poured down their foreheads and anxiety danced in their hearts. It nearly made them fumble over the steps and over the reeling.

"_Merci_, Agenór!" Shouted the sisters as they literally crashed onto the living room couch. In response, the dragon huffed out a cloud of flames before flying over and taking a seat on the armrest. It was his usual spot to be the house occupied or not. It further added to the sense of normalcy.

All three heard the footsteps outside and quiet chatter. Helena and Ryoko briefly looked to one another, silently debating if it was worth it to get up and move. Doing so couldn't possible arouse suspicion, could it? Following a tension-filled sigh, Ryoko jumped up and ran towards the door. Helena sighed and sat upright, at the very least they'd wiped the sweat from their brows and had enough time to calm their breathing.

"Welcome back, mom, dad." Sounded the youngest of the family, her arms held out and ready.

Behind their bags, Ritsuka Fujimaru and Jeanne "Joan" Alter Fujimaru chuckled. Nine times out of ten when they went overseas, they came home with an arm full of bags. Their daughters had picked up on the trend and responded accordingly. A second later and the older sister joined them all, her arms moving out to take hold of the boxes and bags that adorned her parents' arms. As she did so, Helena winked to Ryoko, who grinned back.

"I don't smell smoke so I'll be taking it as a sign that neither of you caused any damages while we were gone." As expected, the matriarch of the Fujimaru's voice was catty, even when directed toward her own children. That said, there no was denying the fondness in her voice or her unnatural gold eyes as she looked upon her daughters. Stretching her arms upward, she threw her own bangs and purse onto the kitchen table while making way toward the refrigerator. Barely a minute later and the sound of a beer can being opened could be heard. "Good, neither of you were drinking while we were gone!"

"Not from your stash at least." Cracked full-blooded Japanese male whom she'd married. Standing there in a button-up short-sleeve and tan-colored shorts stood the boy who'd beaten the odds and saved Human History. And then some. The boy was now a man, a rather handsome and built, yet still gentle-faced man. In contrast to the energetic gleam in his daughters', Ritsuka's cerulean eyes were far calmer. They still twinkled with amusement as he watched his wife scarf down her favorite drink. She'd kept true to her promise being drinking a cold beer right after they got home. "So, how was the last day? I trust neither of you got into trouble?"

"Come on, dad! You think we'd be stupid enough to cause trouble the summer you promised us we'd be going to Chaldea!" Casually fired back Helena. "We just made some promises with some friends to spend our summer doing something constructive, that's all! Oh, and I got to hackle Chiyako before the day ended!"

"That's my girl!" Cheered Joan, slamming her beer can onto the counter with a proud smile on her face. Her husband mirrored her actions before walking over to join her. Knowing his tastes, she reached back and brought him a can of grape juice. As he popped open the can, Joan directed her gaze to her daughters; Helena and Ryoko were already at work, unpacking and searching through them for their "presents" that surely lay within. Though she'd watched her girls grow, in some ways they were still the same children that would hug her legs upon coming back from a trip. Even if they were big enough to stand eye-to-eye with her, Joan couldn't shake the feeling. And she never wanted it to fade.

"So then, what was it this time?" Innocently questioned Ritsuka, finishing the first sip of his drink. As he placed the can down, his daughters went still as statues. Over the couch, Agenór snorted in amusement. He had no personal stake in what was about to transpire, all it was to the red-scaled dragon was amusement. "Were you dealing with a rogue magus again?"

Slowly, as if they were being pushed towards the guillotine, the sisters turned to face their parents. Their smiles were just as crooked as could be.

To their mother, it was one of the best things to come home to. "Or did you two get carried away with target practice, again?"

Arms dropped to the side and heads hung low, blue eyes directed toward the wooden flow. "Ah merde." Exclaimed both sisters in perfect unison.

"And that makes twenty-eight." Stated Agenór, arching upward and spreading his wings out. "I'd say this is a record, but I'm still trying to get a grasp on how most of you humans live. Does this mean they're going to be grounded for the summer?"

"No! Please, anything but that!" Yelled both girls, throwing their hands out in fear and worry hoping to dissuade their parents. "We can explain, really!"

The parents looked between each other as they innocently sipped on their drinks. Their children meanwhile, began to break out into a nervous sweat once again. Their own eyes swerved between each other and their folks, worry steadily building in them. Any second, there was going to be a verdict on their actions, which would likely impact rather or not they spent the first part of their summer caged at home or not. This wasn't the first time the pair of sisters had been in this situation, and knowing their luck, it wouldn't be the last. All that would change is when Helena went off to college, she'd be leaving Ryoko alone to face the outcome by her lonesome. How those times would plan out, the younger sister tried hard not to think about.

Joan finished her first beer of the night then crushed the can in her hand with minimal effort. "Eh, you can explain it to us over dinner. We brought pack some ingredients from Spain so I hope your little exercise left you two feeling hungry!"

Helena and Ryoko had about three seconds to digest the information, during which their worried frowns morphed into brimming smiles. Then Agenór skidded to a stop across the kitchen counter, his tongue running through his razor-sharp jaws.

"I said two, not three!" Snapped the Dragon Witch.

"First off, it's not the first time I've done this. Two, your husband's fixed the damages before."

Several years ago, this would have been the moment the red-scaled "house dragon" would have been either convulsing in pain or being cut up and roasted to be served as dinner. Now, all he did was grin cheekily at the short-haired witch. The grin was echoed by said witch's husband, who made no effort to hide his amused snickering. Seeing it, the sisters couldn't help but join in, in no time had at all, all the house's occupants were laughing save for the Joan. Except that lasted little more than a minute at best. Just like her children, her sneer morphed into a playful grin from which innocent giggling slipped out. Leaning over, she placed a chaste kiss on her husband's cheek then moved toward her daughters. Joan still had a few inches over her oldest daughter, but she predicted in a few years Helena would catch up to her in height. When that time came, she'd still playfully ruffle her and her sister's hair as she did when they were toddlers.

"_Comme il est bien d'être á la maison._" Declared the former Servant. "Now, you two go set the table. You can get a pick at what me and your dad brought you afterward. And _after _you told us kinds of trouble you got into while we were gone. Oh, and you better not skip on the details again."

Sharing a look with one another, the siblings nodded their heads then got to work. Joan flashed her husband a sideways glance he returned. It was obvious their daughters were actually somewhat eager to explain themselves, something of a rarity. The former Master-Servant pair pushed the topic away to the back of their minds. After returning from a nearly two-week long trip, they were ready to unwind and relax a little bit, especially since in a few days they'd be leaving their "family home" and going for a stay at their "secondary" home. While they did like the thought of seeing their friends and associates at Chaldea, the night ahead and a few days before would be for the four of them. The Master who had saved humanity, the Servant who'd tried to kill him, then fell in love with him, and the family they'd built for themselves.

Though there were quite a few foreign markets in Shinjuku, they couldn't quite compare to having the ingredients from the real homeland. Adventuring under Chaldea's banner had taught Ritsuka that thus when the time presented itself, he made sure to grab as many souvenirs and keepsakes as he could. Especially when it came to cooking. In fact, at times Ritsuka thought his skills with cooking were worth more than all the other trades he'd learned from the wide roster of Servants he'd interacted with. As they grew, his daughters certainly thought so. Nights such as this was when they let their gratitude for his cooking show. With their mother's guidance, they helped out in preparing the seafood they'd be dining on. Agenór patiently waited beside the living room couch, though loud in their ears was his near constant lip-smacking. It was just one of the many sounds they could expect whenever dinner rolled around.

At times Ritsuka thought the inner dragon inside each of his ladies attributed to their love of seafood. Though mother and daughters all had a fondness for meat-based dishes, whenever he suggested seafood of any sort, they all seemed to drift toward the option seven times out of ten. This time they'd be having shrimp mixed in with a little chicken in the form of _paella_. While overseas, Joan herself had taken a liking to the dish and ensured he got all the ingredients needed for them to recreate the seafood dish back home for their family. Bowls were filled with a mixture of rice, shrimp, and vegetables all taken directly from Spanish markets and preserved on the flight over Europe and Asia.

Proof the right decision had been made manifest in the way Helena and Ryoko greedily dug into their bowls once they received their first helping. The green-eyed reptile who'd maintained a somewhat neutral position on the couch was next in line, said green-eyes sparkling with anticipation. Chuckling, Ritsuka scooped out a decent-sized amount of shrimp, chicken, and rice into Agenór's bowl. If anyone ever doubted that dragons, fantastical creatures of legend were capable of being domesticated than Ritsuka believed, his life experiences were proof. He'd learned quite a bit about how to raise and nurture dragons thanks to the unlikely woman he'd come to call the wife and mother of his children.

Speaking of said children, they wasted little time in retelling all the mishaps that had happened in the week or so he and his wife had spent in Europe. So far, they hadn't done anything that gave the parents cause to raise the alarm. Or given the Magus Association a reason to call-in.

At least until they got around to explaining the evening's events.

"Cats?" Joan inquired through a mouth full of shrimp and rice.

"Yep, robotic, humanoid-cats." Ryoko replied with a complete straight face. "Seriously though, we're not making this up! We fought them! Helena even smashed one through a couple of floors!"

"Two to be exact. They were…um, would you believe us if we told you they looked like something out of a comic book or a TV show?" Said the oldest sister, looking to her father for confirmation.

The patriarch of the Fujimaru Family leaned back in his chair, crumbs decorating his lips and his eyes narrowed in a deep frown. Based on the description his daughters had given him, he was running through his mental library hoping to make some sort of match. So far, nothing was coming up. "Well…what you've described…I'd almost say it sounds like some rogue magi's experiments got loose again. You said they brought up how they couldn't be defeated by humans _again_, right?" When they both nodded, a hand went to his chin. "I'd say that might mean they're from the Reverse Side of the World, but you said they looked like cyborgs so…"

"For all we know, some magus could have pulled them in from the Reverse Side, played mad-scientist with them and that's how we got these things." Argued the gold-eyed woman with shadowed eyes. "Did you give them a good ass-kicking?"

Helena's face brightened, then fell. "Eh, we tried to, mom. They ran away before we could really cut loose. We would have gone after them but-"

"Yeah, yeah, you had to take care of the building and the people inside first." The former Servant's words were a half-truth. Joan knew full well her daughters were trying to beat them back home. As far as the Frenchwoman was concerned, that topic was buried and forgotten about.

"They were…kind of durable, I mean we threw a few punches at them and they kept getting back up. Based on what they said, I'm gonna guess this wasn't the first time they'd gotten a beaten down at the hands of humans. Actually, the way they talked, it sounded like they'd encountered superhumans before."

"Which just makes you where they came from…and where they are now." Neither parent saw anything in regards to the deep frown on their youngest daughter's face. Though Helena often presented herself as the vocal one, Ryoko could be just as driven and determined. A heavy-hearted sigh left the long-haired girl's lips. "Kinda wish I'd at least tore off a piece of armor so we could track their scent. I just…I just got a weird feeling fighting them."

"Homicidal, robotic cats…eh, just another thing to add to the list." Shrugged the older sister. "Odds are they'll pop up somewhere else. If they're near us, fine, if not then it's someone else's problem."

While the girls went back to eating, their parents silently conversed with one another.

_It's connected, isn't it? _Spoke up the former Master. Even if they were no longer connected via Command Seals and such, the telepathic bond that tied the human and superwoman together still remained. They'd made quite good use of it over the years.

There was a mental snort from his wife. _Like Helena said, homicidal robo-cats. Ritsuka, we've seen a lot of weird things over the years, but this one is…off a little. Don't say a word to either of them until we know for certain though. _Even with Helena's dismissive tone, Joan knew her oldest daughter well. She was like her in so many ways meaning if they caught a scent of these mysterious attackers, then their girls would set out to even the score. Like Joan herself, neither Helena nor Ryoko had much tolerance for unfinished business, doubly so when blood had been spilled. _Still going to do it? _

_Are you asking because you're worried I'm gonna say it first? _Chuckled the black-haired human with a sneaky grin. His wife's response was to superheat the shrimp mere inches from his mouth into a black crisp. Sadly for her, it was a tactic Ritsuka had long since grown used to. "Girls, we've got something to tell you."

They could tell their mother had toyed with their father's food, again. Giggling, Ryoko reached over and offered her father a glass of water. As she did so, Helena innocently played with the remains in her bowl.

"So…"

"It took some time, time that I'd like to believe was well-"

"We leave the day after tomorrow." Interjected the former Avenger Servant. _Trois- _

_-Deux..._ Followed her husband.

"YES!"

_Un. _Finished the married couple whilst their daughters jumped from the table and hugged each other. Again and again, they chanted as if they were watching a baseball game on TV. In seconds, their joint jubilant voices filled not just the dining room but stretched all the way into the living room and beyond. Clear in their ears was the bestial laughter of the family dragon, having heard every word of the dinner-table conversation. Ritsuka and Joan could practically see and feel the smile on Agenór's face; he had every reason to grin as for the next several weeks, it seemed he was going to be having the house to himself. The long-waited for the meal had been forgotten about by the sisters in favor of the mishaps and adventures they'd be getting into at the secret facility at the top of the world.

"So, does this mean we're going to be able to do it this time?! Summon our own Servant?" Asked Helena, looking to her father with her eyes burning bright as stars.

Ritsuka's arms were crossed with his gaze periodically drifting toward his wife. Naturally, she snickered as she continued to eat her dinner, seemingly detached from the entire conversation having said her piece. "Hm, your own Servant. Is that really the only reason you want to go to Chaldea? You don't want to see your Aunt Jeanne or Uncle Sieg? Your Aunt Mash or Akara or Ida?"

"N-No, we do want to see them all!" Quickly snapped Ryoko. She hated it when their father got that sneaky grin on his face. Making it worse was the same grin was forming on their mother's. "I-I-It's just a-a-after so long I think we-"

"You promised us next time we went to Chaldea we'd get to summon a Servant of our own!" Declared Helena, staring down her father. The former Master's smile went from teasing to one of pride. He felt like he was looking into a mirror into the past. "Us going means FATE's been fixed, and if it is then it's high time we took a crack at it! The first and so-far only children to ever be born to a human being and a Servant!"

"Former Servant." Coughed Ryoko.

"Whatever, it's time we made history!" Thundered the oldest sibling, throwing her fist into the air…and placing her foot on the edge of the table, with enough force to cause it to crack.

"Break the table we're eating on and we're not going." Joan calmly snorted with her head into the bowl of shrimp and rice. Immediately, her oldest did as instructed. Looking to them with a cheeky grin, she added, "You both know the drill. Pack whatever you think you're going to need for the next month or so. Ritsuka and I have already made flight arrangements. Oh, and finish eating! We spent almost an hour preparing all this so you both better damn well eat up!"

Grinning like fools, the superhuman teenagers sat back down and continued eating, and telling of how their schoolwork and such had gone. Ritsuka and Joan listened on with smiles, then once it was obvious their daughters wanted to hear from them began to speak of their week-long stay in Spain. Laughter and grumbling ensued, the kind that each of the family of four had come to miss. Though the personally customized house was comfy and held a great number of memories for them, it was the house's occupants that truly made it home. The Fujimaru Family would indeed be going on another trip that would leave the two-story house empty, but where they were going, they were traveling together. That thought alone would make the trip easier, and would make the eventual return all the sweeter.

* * *

_**July 13**__**th **_

_**Alpine Tundra, 2:05 PM…**_

Antarctica, the last continent as it'd once been called. In a way, it was still a scarcely populated place compared to the other six continents. That said, those that _did _live on the frozen continent were something of an oddity. They came from all races and backgrounds…and time periods.

Helena and Ryoko could faintly remember the first time they'd come to Chaldea's northernmost facility, it's original facility. The former had been six while the latter had was on the crisp of her third birthday. It was tough to recall the memories in detail, but both sisters could recall the laughter, joyous laughter and smiles from beings whose existence defied what most people would have called normal conventions. The smiles and laughter belonged to Servants, supernatural beings, super-powered familiars, whose existences were testaments to ancient and fantastical times that humanity had long since moved past and forgotten. Mostly. Every year, a handful of lucky individuals found themselves flying past the northern portions of Canada and Russia, and sometimes sailing through frozen waters. When they arrived at their destination, almost every soul was blown away by the fortress-like fully functioning research base that housed scientific and magical marvels that left most baffled.

But the Fujimaru Sisters weren't most people; what they would have found awe-inspiring the girls had come to accept as natural. Yes, like a tree growing in the backyard or pond right down the street. The mountain-base had been a playground for them when they were younger, and would be one again once they touched down.

Excitement swelled within the pair as the airship began to skid across the ground, slowly coming to a steady stop. Along with their parents and fellow passengers, they gathered their things then made for the side door once it opened. Immediately, they were greeted by a blast of sub-zero air. It barely fazed either of them.

"About time you guys came back! I wonder wondering if you were going to make me and Akara have to come down to Tokyo to see ya'!" Shouted a boisterous female voice.

Eager, Helena pushed aside the disembarking passengers with her sister following close behind the gap she made. Waiting for them on the airstrip stood a girl with a lean build hidden away by a fur-lined coat and snow pants. She deeply contrasted the Fujimaru sisters in every way except for the eyes. Her hair was chocolate brown in contrast to their pale blonde color. In spite of the freezing weather, her skin had retained the light brown shade that was proof of her Middle Eastern heritage. What stood out though was the twinkle in her berry-red eyes, they held the same mischievous light as Helena's.

"You know it would have been better if you came down our way. It's a lot better than the freezing cold you live with up here." Snickered the long-haired sister.

"Like you're one to talk, it could be fifty-degrees below zero and either of you would barely notice." Fired back the German-Syrian teen. "You guys came back at a good time, the FATE system's up and running!"

"Ida, are you saying you're going to be summoning a Servant too?" Asked Ryoko, getting a feel where their scythe-wielding friend was going. She'd tried pressing her parents yet they'd only given her breadcrumbs to work with. It'd been enough for her to begin piecing things together.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Helena cut her off. "That's awesome! You can have a turn right after us!"

An eyebrow raised, she leered at the older witch. "Right after you? Hm, you so sure about that? I may just outshine you by summoning a better Servant."

"Really? Then I guess there's only one way to be certain of that!" Exclaimed Helena, gripping her shoulder back tightly while her eyes gleamed with competitive light.

The air itself seemed to crackle with energy as the two girls grinned at one another, then took off down the airfield. Their laughter rose above the cold breeze that blew across Chaldea's original and most up-to-date base. Spectators either bristled at the sight or laughed. Those that did the latter were the ones who knew well the antics of the oldest Fujimaru child _and _one of the organizations many adopted wards. Standing there in the lightly falling snow stood Ryoko, a thin smile on her lips.

"Glad to see she hasn't changed, and neither have you." Chuckled an unseen male voice.

Her thin smile turned into a full-blown grin as she looked at the space to her right. "Seriously? Not even physically? Mom said I grew an inch or two over the spring."

"Don't see it."

Laughter broke through Ryoko's lips as well as those of the unseen speaker. Raising her right fist, she reached out and was overjoyed when she felt them connect with something, a similarly clenched fist. As the warmth spread between the two, a figured manifested from thin-air right beside her. He too was male, a teenager as well of similar age to her older sister. He too was dressed for the weather, and for good reason. A black and silver collar adorned his neck while synthetic bandages wrapped around his forehead and looped over his left cheek. A blue-colored snow cap protected his black and somewhat messy hair. Ryoko could see he'd cut it short again.

"Great to see you, Akara." Laughed the youngest Fujimaru.

"Feelings' mutual, to all of you." Spinning on his heel, the bandaged teen bowed his head to the approaching married pair. "Da Vinci sent me out first to tell you all that she's already got things set up in the summoning chamber, oh, and Mash will be handling dinner tonight. Her little gift to you all."

"And what about you, Akara? You'll be helping out too, right?" Playfully asked the older male, causing the teen to turn away in slight embarrassment. "You have been taking lessons from EMIYA, right?"

"Er, well…yeah I have. Oh, and…um…"

Seeing the shifty eyes that were doing everything in his power to avoid looking at her. The dots connected instantaneously. "Akara, where is she?" Her voice was as cold as the icy waters they'd crossed to get here. Nearby passengers and scientist shuddered as they felt an unexplainable heat wave bathed the area. Suddenly, the snow gear they'd all been wearing seemed three times stuffier and constraining.

The teenager, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. "Artoria Alter's waiting for you in front of the gym. Oh, and there's a chance that Saber-Artoria will be-"

"I'm coming for you, you English-borne bitch!" Screeched reincarnated Servant, flames exploding from her feet and blasting the runway with near searing heat. Several lost their balance and fell onto their buttocks while others cowered in fear. A handful though merely shook their heads or laughed. Not caring for any of them, Joan sprinted toward the door. All in her way fearfully or wisely moved aside giving her unrestricted access to the base. Faintly, several more cries of alarm could be heard.

Standing in the same position, chuckles turning into outright laughter, stood Ritsuka. As Akara had spoken his wife, he had wisely placed most of her bags into his arms. It wasn't much of an inconvenience since he'd carried far heavier in his time at Chaldea and since. Thoughtfully, Ryoko and Akara stepped forward, taking some of the load off of him. There would be more to unpack, but for now, they could all bask at the moment for just a little longer.

"Senpai! Ryoko!"

Now it was Ryoko's turn to smile and burst into running. The bags slung over her shoulders and arms did little to weigh her down as she practically launched herself into the arms of the approaching purple-eyed woman. Chaldea's one and only Shielder laughed as she caught her youngest god-daughter in her arms, wrapping them tightly around her and sending her greetings.

At times, it was hard to believe the grown woman in dark gray armor and clothing hugging his daughter was the same shy little girl he'd met when he came to Chaldea years ago. Mash had let her hair grow out, though not by much. Short hair was her preference, part of her identity, and she'd kept it throughout the years. In addition to that, her eyes still twinkled with the innocent kindness that had helped see him through many dark times. Looking up from Ryoko, her eyes found him, standing beside Akara with a gentle smile on his face.

"Welcome back, Master." Laughed the Demi-Servant, doing her best to hug him in spite of the luggage he was carrying. As they came into physical contact, the human felt a tingling sensation light up his right hand. Without even looking, he knew the Master-Servant link had been set, again.

"Good to be back, Mash." The Japanese adult turned his head to the brightening sky. "Great to be back, actually."

* * *

_**Summoning Chamber, 3:39 PM…**_

'Saint Quartz', multi-colored rocks that could achieve many impressive feats if a handful of them were gathered together. Servant summoning was one such feat. Using the mana that was crystalized within them, Chaldea had used them to jumpstart the countless summoning rituals. In seconds, Helena and Ryoko would commence one such ritual after years of watching others such as their parents perform them.

Humming to life, a white summoning circle appeared on the ground as mana began to crackle and flow. The white orbs that appeared soon after began spinning around the circle. Slowly at first, but then picking up speed as the humming turned into a loud screech.

The mana was immense in the room, causing the light to brighten and tendrils of power to crawl everywhere. The witnessing individuals shielded their eyes from the brightness as the light flooded their corneas.

Then abruptly, it vanished in a blink before exploding into rays of light. Though judging by how much light the machine was emitting and the speed of the orbs...

_It has to be a Servant. _Ritsuka deduced intently as the lights began to die down.

"Did it work?" Mashu asked curiously, slowly lowering her hands from her eyes.

"Yes! Standard readings of a new Servant!" Da Vinci declared from her position at the console. "And quite a powerful one at that! They don't match up with the graph of anyone else!"

"Though... who could it be?" Ritsuka muttered as he stepped backwards to stand in line with them to greet the new Servant. Could it be a Greek hero? A Japanese one? Maybe even from America? Throughout the flight he'd wonder what sort of Servant his daughters would end up with. Even his wife had expressed curiosity in spite of forgoing being here with the rest of them.

Medea was the only one didn't make any comment as she kept staring in silence, though if without her hood everyone in the room would able to see a curious look on half of her face.

"A new Servant, we really did it." Helena muttered with barely pent up excitement as she and awe-stricken Ryoko moved away from the safety glass and walking towards the summoning circle.

As the light began to die down-

_**BOOM!**_

-it was replaced by a massive explosion of purple and orange lights and flares as its shockwave was able to send off-guard girls flying and impacting the ground with a painful thud, and its intense vibration shattered the safety glass where the people behind window screamed in panic and took covered before the glass shards flings at them.

As the alarm blared to life, Ritsuka blinked his eyes several times before fully opening them. Removing his hands from his head, the confused man sat in crouch position examined himself to expect damage from the glass shards but found none. Curious, he checked his surroundings and found his answer.

Mash and the others had been knocked off their feet by the blast, yet most of them were unharmed. He and those who'd recovered from explosion found themselves within a glass-like barrier of magical energy, outside the defensive wall was a mess of glass shards in tiny pieces. Knowing the one responsible, every occupant in the chamber turned to the source of the magical barrier.

It was Caster, who was floating above the floor slightly while her dark robes swirl a bit like being caught in the wind current, the palm of her stretched hand was glowing in purple light.

As the Servant of the Spell had lowered her arm the glow from her hand along her protective spell called _Μαρδοξ_ (Argos) dissipated, Ritsuka sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Medea. You really saved us there." He said in a grateful tone. Several others followed his example, having expected some manner of injuries from the unexpected blast.

The human and others became confused because Caster had not said a word when she landed on her feet, as if she didn't hear them at all while staring out of the broken window in silence. Her purple lips were in a thin line, it was hard to tell the woman's expression she's having right now since she's still wearing the hood that concealed half of her face.

Following Medea's direction, Ritsuka and everyone in the room turned to look at the target of the Magus Servant's intense stare, and at the same moment, he and like the others near him widened their eyes what they saw.

_Two minutes earlier…_

Grunting in pain and ignoring the alarm blaring in her eardrums, Helena slowly rose from the ground into a sitting position while rubbing her back to ease the pain.

_Holy crap, that's never happened before, not in all the years we'd been here! Next time, make sure to stand behind the glass! _Helena scolded herself in thought as she winces for the jolting pain of her back. Making a note, she would put more caution next time when summoning a Servant. Looking back, the girl sighed in relief as she saw everyone - especially her sister, her father, and Mashu - were unharmed.

Carefully, she stood up on her feet to avoid hurting her back anymore. The fact that her superhumanly strong body was sore spoke volumes about how dangerous a force they'd tapped. Turning around and looking forward, the female Master saw a large, purple-orange-mixed plume of super-hot gas still rising from the spot the surprising explosion originally erupted on the summoning circle.

_Oh man, I hope someone has already called the fire emergency crew, if FATE system gets more damage then Da Vinci will throw a f-"_

Her thoughts screeched to a halt as Helena, Ryoko and every other person behind them froze as they saw the super-hot gas fume suddenly sucked to the center of the explosion the blink of the eye, all of its energy that was released in the air was being converted into a new kind of summoning circle while white smoke was drifting above it and the ground.

No, it wasn't the usual white summoning circle that heralded Servants' arrivals. Instead of white, the summoning circle's magical energy was glowing brightly in ominous purple, crackling with black-colored lightning. And within the purple summoning circle, there were unfamiliar glyphs that the Fujimaru sisters couldn't decipher; they matched none of the writings and languages they'd studied in Magecraft books and records.

But the new summoning seal wasn't the eye-catcher. Within the white haze, there was a figure crouching within the center of the summoning circle by bending its legs. Everyone's stunned eyes slowly moved upwards in the same pace as they saw the figure steadily stand up, growling like a predator, when all of the white smoke finally ceased and the purple summoning seal died down.

For what it was standing in front of them, out of anything they could have imagined, this was certainly not within their list of possibilities.

It was a Servant, a man to be precise.

A somewhat scary looking man some would say.

For starters, the he was taller than most people, standing an impressive height of six feet and four inches and clad in a massive medieval suit of purple armor which makes him a knight. Underneath that was what looked to be a black bodysuit completely covered his hidden skin - feet to his neck - that was similar to those of Celtic Servants.

The man's legs had metallic elf-like pointed sabatons in purple-black, greaves in purple, and silver metal cuisses while sabatons had golden bands attached on the top to protect his ankles and his knees were shielded under dark gray metal poleyns with a spike on the center. Adorning the arms were greaves possessing two black spikes on the surface. His metal pelvis plate, faulds and tassets colored purple with silver metal patterns while the golden belt was around his waist but seemed built into the armor. Covering the hands and forearms were gauntlets and vambraces in purple while his biceps and triceps were protected under his black metal rerebraces. The vambraces had three black spikes on the surface while the golden wrist bands attached to the gauntlets. His shoulders were shielded under his wolf-head metal spaulders in silver, giving them a feral image. At the center of the man's chest-plate was a golden "**W**" emblem vaguely resembling a twisted bat.

His face was also wrapped in armor as well, having been covered completely by a metal helmet which is colored black and on its front side has a triangular-like faceplate of purple with silver line edges around it. The mouth guard was nothing but silver while thin golden metal edges mostly surrounded said mouth guard. A diamond-shaped purple metal embedded between the bottom of the mouthpiece and the bottom of the purple faceplate, acting as if it was a soul patch beard. Above the mouth guard, he held a menacing "**W**" shaped black visor with golden metal edges. One's own reflection was all that could be seen in them.

It was all so unusual, yet fearsome none the same. The dark glow reminded onlookers of Berserker Lancelot's dyed-black armor as well as the stained-red plating worn by Artoria Alter.

But it also looked absolutely _awesome_ to the younger minds of Chaldea like Helena.

But what got their attention the most were the weapons. Servants for the most part only carried weapons from bygone ages like spears, swords, and bows. Weapons that received names of their own and could be just as iconic as their wielder. The weapons that he seemed to be carrying in his left hand resembled large triangular, purple shield and a large sword slide into the defensive tool; only the sword's purple handle with silver lines and the long tip of its silver blade with purple fuller were not hidden from everyone's eyesight. His shield had a large edge of silver metal on the bottom, similar patterns plastered on the purple surface, large black U-shape on the center and a stretched "**W**" shaped silver metal - which looked like a sinister mask - plastered above it.

The figure gave them chills as the man stared at them, seemingly studying them without a single word as if judging to see which one he should break in half first.

"…No…"

Ritsuka blinked, he was holding a stiffened Mashu as was in a fearful trance for _who _is front of them, in confusion as he heard a whispered feminine voice entered his ears.

It wasn't Mashu's.

"It can't be…"

Turning his head to the owner of the voice, it was Caster, much to the male Master's surprise. What was more surprising is Medea finally made an expression on her lower face as she's gritting her teeth _hard_. He prayed his eyes were deceiving him. She was…shaking?

"Medea…" He carefully ventured with a concerned voice.

"_His_…magical energy he's releasing from hisreserves…it's made entirely of **Darkness**." She muttered quietly to herself, Medea wasn't fully aware that the man could hear her up close. "And its size and power are _tremendous_ as if its levels are higher than Magecraft from _Age of the Gods_…" That caused Ritsuka to widen his eyes in new shock, is she's serious!? But she wasn't done. "It-it shouldn't be possible unless…_unless _it's…!?" She hesitated, her lips shaking as if the words were struggling to make it past her mouth.

_What is it, Caster? _He thought in dread and anxiety. Ritsuka could have used his Master clairvoyance to see the unknown Servant's parameters to find out how much mana he's releasing from his disposal, but since Caster is a_ Servant_ and _definitely _not feeling so good when she sensed it already, the male's smart thinking made him decide against it. He may have been a Magus, but Ritsuka knew he was still a fragile human comparing to superior beings like Servants. The male Master didn't want to know what would happen if he attempted to sense the mysterious individual's magical energy. Again, he was Magus, but a masochist he certainly was not. Even if he was married to one.

But still, what thing it could terrify the Princess of Colchis, also known as the Witch of Betrayal, who deceased Dr. Roman claims that Medea's skill in Magecraft is among the Top Five in the entire world, this much?

"…_Magic_. _**TRUE MAGIC**_…"

Medea was far from alone. Out of the corner, from behind the control panel he caught Da Vinci. He could honestly count on his hands the number of times he'd ever seen the legendary inventor scared out of her mind. This was a new addition to the list. Bolstering the gravity of the situation were Ida and Akara. The former had summoned her scythe and taken a defensive position, but it was the latter whose stance worried him. Akara's reptilian side had awoken, and it was on full alert. Similar to Ida, he lay in a crouch, his face half-covered by dark gray scales and hissing, like a snake ready to attack.

While processing all the information, Ritsuka was gaping like a fish on dry land. Once it all came together, he snapped back to reality with a horrifying realization. Twisting his head back to the direction of the new Servant, Ritsuka's extremely alarming eyes possessed shrunken pupils bore straight at the unknown individual who was still observing him and the other occupants quietly_. If Magi from the Age of the Gods said what was true, then who the HELL is this man-no, this __**monster**__!?_

His dire alarm quickly turned into a full-blown panic as the male Master watched Helena, who was followed by her hesitant sister, slowing approaching to the figure who is now considered to be a magical-powered monster. A **monster **among monsters.

_HELENA! RYOKO! WAIT! _Ritsuka tried to yell at the girls, but he couldn't say it out loud as he didn't want himself and more importantly everyone else, especially his daughters, to feel the wrath of True-Magic Servant when provoked or angered.

* * *

After a moment of tense silence, Helena decided that she would be the first one to speak up while Ryoko stayed silent, warily eyeing the new Servant. She was the most daring of the two girls, always willing to take risks.

Even if that risk meant getting torn in half by this mysterious individual.

"_Bonjour_, welcome to Chaldea…um, Servant." She spoke, careful as to not appear too rude or imposing. "Not to sound rude, but...who exactly are you?"

The figure glanced downward at the sisters, making them freeze in place along with the others. There was something about this person that made him seem more imposing than any other Heroic Spirit of Knighthood the girls had encountered.

This was certainly not a king, certainly not a politician, and most certainly not a regular knight on the battlefield. No, not just a knight. This was a Dark Knight from the blackest of histories that lived on the fields of battle. A medieval warrior of stoic demeanor that was so polished that it made the girls feel small in comparison.

And when the figure spoke, Helena and Ryoko found themselves growing smaller.

"I...am **Dark Saber**, the Knight Class Servant of Sword of Darkness." The unknown Servant's cold voice was not only warrior-like deep, but it was disturbingly calm with a tinge of seriousness. Especially the tone of the words "Dark Saber" - which they heard correctly - held much power and dread that shivers everyone's spines when he said them. Hell, even Medea behind the former window was a bit startled by his words. "Upon summoning, I come forth to fight and **destroy** your enemies only with honor. So…I ask you, children of Magecraft…" Helena and Ryoko's felt their blood run colder than ice as they stared at his visor, unable to see his face, when a dangerous edge came to his voice.

"…Are _you _worthy to call my **Masters**?"

As everyone was now terrified, stunned, and close to panic, they heard footsteps behind them until…

"Oi! What the hell is that explosion!? Even I felt it all the way from Salon de Marie! The hell did you girls summon!?"

The members of Chaldea and Caster froze at that _familiar_, tomboyish feminine voice. With dread, their stiffened bodies slowly turning to the source of the angry shouts. As they saw who it was, they already started to sweat in nervousness and even more panic.

The Servant is clad in armor combined both brilliant silver and dazzling patterns of red, with silk-like cloth covering their frame wherever their glorious steel armor was not present. The suit itself was massive, easily entombing them in a fierce visage. They were an imposing figure that stood straight and firm, without a single piece of skin showing beneath their battle regalia, and in their right hand they held a massive white broadsword that was more dazzling than any silver. Her emerald green eyes both radiated unrivaled confidence and burned with an underlying rage.

It was Saber, the Knight Class Servant of Sword. _**Mordred**_.

_WHY MORDRED OF ALL PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AT THE TIME LIKE THIS!? _Cursed several voices in panicked unison.

Blinded to everyone's faces they expressing from their thoughts, Mordred's vibrant green eyes aimed straight at Dark Saber, who was now staring at her intently behind his visor in disturbing silence at the moment the blonde arrived, and her lips curled up into a cocky smirk of arrogance.

"Oh~ You're the new Servant I sensed back at the Salon." She said, a statement more than a question. Casually, the girl in silver armor put the blade of her sword on her right spaulder as her smirk widen and her emerald orbs narrowed at their reflection from the visor's black glass. "A _knight_ at that. Now, I don't care about the explosion that happened here." She paused as she checked the damaged machines and surroundings before staring right back at the man in purple armor. Suddenly, her smirk turned into that screamed "bloodthirsty". "To cause this much damage after been summoned, you got to be a strong warrior. Though, not as strong as me since I'm the strongest Servant being summoned in Chaldea." The blonde cheekily added in a haughty tone.

_Clink!_

Putting the tip of her Noble Phantasm Clarent on the floor, the silver-armored girl with red patterns stood firmly straight while putting her armored hands on the pommel, holding the sword in place. "Let me introduce myself. I am Mordred Pendragon, pure-blooded son of King Arthur himself! The only one and true heir of his throne to rule Britain!" She declared with much passion and pride.

Narrowing at another knight of the chamber, her glaring jaded eyes displaying cruelty and her smirk turned into a large toothy grin as if she thirsts for blood as she continues.

"So, who are you, newbie?"

"…" The purple armored knight made no response to her loud introduction.

"Huh?" Mordred dropped her smirk and raised her delicate blonde eyebrow. "What? Got nothing to say, newb? Are you too shocked to speak knowing who I am now? I know I'm glorious and amazing but come on, let's hear what you have to say to the future King of Camelot."

Again, silence from the man with a sword in the shield.

The young woman in armor had her lips turned into a frown in irritation and her green eyes became a glare with a hint of anger. "Hey, asshole. Did you hear what I fucking said!? Is your shit helmet blocking your hearing or something? Are you deaf or a dumbass?" Mordred was ignorant to every member of Chaldea, including the Witch of Colchis, had their skins turned into pale for "son" of Artoria was bad-mouthing to the new Servant. "So, speak up your mind already!"

"…I am Dark Saber, the Servant of Sword of Darkness…" The dark knight finally responded; his voice was still calm despite the cussing he had given from the female knight. The armored blonde made a mocking grin in triumph, feeling victorious that she got her fellow Saber Servant to talk at last despite not getting his True Name. However, her moment mercilessly died when he said the next sentence. "…Are you _really_ a knight?"

Helena's jaw dropped. _Merde! _

"There are many reasons I asked this suddenly. Despite you're Saber-Class, I'm very reluctant to believe that an arrogant girl like you to be one of the Knights of the Round Table because you have the mouth of vulgar man and mind of an obnoxious child. Which I might add, you used your mouth first before your mind…how distasteful. Though, I'm not surprised since you're the _Knight_ of Treachery. However, speaking about your true gender, I _am_ surprised that you Mordred, the "son" of King Arthur, is actually a young girl as well. How do humans keep missing those kinds of extremely important details in the documentation of Arthurian Legends? Does this 'genderbending' happen often in Camelot? It's like a bad joke to all socialites, especially in Britain, and Arthur's history."

Ryoko and Mashu dropped their jaws as well. _Where did this man come from?_

Ida almost lowered her scythe. _Here I thought it was only me. _

"Did your witch mother Morgan le Fay teach you those foul words? I doubt your father did. Whoever is responsible, then they must be terrible parental models to raise such an unpleasant one as you who have an irrelevant ego that reminds me of my dead _ally_ Morticon, one of the people I despise. I almost feel pity for them. _Almost_."

Dropping jaws of Ritsuka and Medea soon joined them. _Oh no._

"As mention of Morticon, you will fall in the same path as him if you continue to allow your overwhelming pride to blind you and your unintended actions will affect others on a battlefield. For example, the _Battle of Camlann_. Not only can it lead you to death _again_, but it will also be disgraceful like your first death. Why disgraceful you may ask…?"

Behind his helmet, Dark Saber's voice became colder than ever before as if it was burning ice block hit them in the face.

"…You will die as a **fool **and **pretender**. Not as an honorable knight, just a foolish pretender. You will die as a fool in a war due to your infuriating ego, and it also could lead to the death of your allies. For a warrior who possessed ill-manners and boasting herself as the future King of Britain, it disgusts me that you have the privilege to wear that armor which designates you as a knight, pretending to be one of us through arrogance. How can you be the next King of Knights when you're playing knight to boost your pride and selfishly want your father's throne for fame, riches and rule over the people in fake superiority? All that just to feel good for yourself? It's offensive to all knights, including me. Not only that, according to your history, you rebelled against your King, your fellow knights, and your people for power and greed despite your sworn loyalty to them in the very beginning. It's impossible for you to be King of Camelot for what have you done to them in the past. Because not only you responsible for the King's death and his kingdom fall, what you did was far worse..."

For the first time, his voice released another emotion other than coldness, seriousness, and calmness.

Anger.

Barely holding, but true anger spat behind his mouthguard.

"You dishonored the name of Camelot and its people, _your _people. You dishonored your fellow Knights of the Round Table, _your _comrades. You dishonored Arthur Pendragon, your King. The leader who you _vowed _your loyalty to him and he trusted _you_ in return. _YOUR OWN FATHER_. You **dishonored** all of them and all their victories and sacrifices to keep their kingdom alive and protected, and **you **were **among** them and **took** **credit** of their achievements and efforts. And later, **you let it all** **die**. You, Mordred, **betrayed** them by tossing away your oath to protect and serve them with honor like **trash**,earning yourself the title '_Knight_ of Treachery' and became one of the most infamous traitors known to man. HONOR is one of THE most important factors that makes us KNIGHTS, and **you threw it away** like the others you have ruined and killed. That **act** is one of THE greatest crimes of Knighthood you ever committed…" He paused, letting everyone digest his words. Then he continued, focusing his own anger in as evident in the tone of his voice. "The main reason I asked are you really a knight is because the first moment I laid my eyes upon you, of how you expressed your characteristics, and knowing your historic, unforgettable treacherous actions against almost everything in your previous life-"

"YOU."

"ARE."

"NOT."

"WORTHY."

"TO."

"BE."

"CALLED."

"A."

"**KNIGHT**."

Now everyone in the chamber aside Mordred had their jaws hanging with widening eyes, their facial expressions showed emotions of utter horror, aghast, awe, panic, disbelief, and absurdity. Their reactions looked so comical thanks to Dark Saber's cruelly realistic and audacious speech towards the blonde girl.

In their very first meeting to each other, he boldly and **ruthlessly** roasted one of the last people to be angered with. His lecture yet brutal words came out of his non-existed lips held no hesitation, fear or remorse.

The purple-armored knight not just earned himself a _death wish_.

HE HAD EARNED HIMSELF **TOTAL OBLIVION**!

Unfortunately for them, he spoke once more. However, his one specific word revealed another emotion in it aside from the others he already displayed. It was-

"There. I have spoken what it is the most occurred in my mind like you demanded. Are you satisfied now, your _Majesty_?"

-Sarcasm. Dark Saber **mocked** MORDRED with the word "Majesty" in **sarcasm**.

A heartbeat passed.

…

Another.

…

Then another.

…

Still another.

…

All of a sudden, the air began grow with the heaviest pressure they ever felt while its temperature degree almost dropped to near as zero-degrees Celsius. The suffocating pressure in the air caused most people in the chamber to drop to on their knees, clutching their chest hard, and gasping harshly to breathe. Those with stronger wills, however, such as Helena, Ryoko, Mashu, Ritsuka, and Caster, did not falter like the other occupants. But they're tried their best to keep their composure as their facial expressions looked tensed, their now-pale skins leaking more sweat, and their bodies showed readiness to prepare what was to come.

The source of the oncoming doom was Mordred, her head lowered as her blonde bangs hidden her eyes in shadow. Armored rattled as the girl's body shook uncontrollably and her grip on Clarent's pommel tightened, not caring for blood leaks out from the vents of her armored hand and streaming down her broadsword. The massive killing intent she was releasing in the air still increased as red electricity started to dance around her armored body. The floor below her feet started to crack due to the subconscious mana release. Slowly, the blonde knight finally raised her head up.

"…_You_…"

Helena, Ryoko, and the rest all recoiled as they regretted to witness her expression.

Her teeth gritted within her mouth and her lips revealed a vicious snarl spreading to her cheeks; her once beautiful emerald eyes now held an unimaginable amount of hatred and blistering fury. The upper side of her face darkened in a lethal-level dangerous manner as an animalistic growl escaped from her throat. Her terrifying expression didn't suit a young girl like her.

It was no longer a look of a medieval warrior of petite female beauty.

It was the look of the vengeful and hateful MONSTER caged deep in her heart.

And now it had just been freed and showed a desire to maul one target without mercy other than her "father".

"…_Not only have you called me a __**girl**__ THREE times, scolded me like a troublesome child,_ _and_ _humiliated me with such words sharper than the blades I was inflicted upon in my past life_,"her rasped voice whispered loudly enough in the entire room, sounding almost inhuman, "_You denied my honor of being a knight, my wish of wanting to be King of Britain, and who I am_…_Worse of all, you have a gall to mentioned __**their**__ NAMES_ _to_ _spat on my face…"_

Her jaded irises shrunk to a size close to dots with many red vessels now surfaced on her sclera, her wide maddening eyes fit for a Berserker.

"HOW DARE YOU JUDGE MY WORTHINESS OF BEING A KNIGHT!?" Mordred shrieked. "HOW DARE YOU LECTURE MY HARDSHIPS AND SACRIFICES OF BEING A WARRIOR!? HOW DARE YOU CRITICIZE MY ACTIONS WHEN I WAS CLAIMING MY THRONE WHICH WAS RIGHTFULLY MINE AS HEIR!? HOW DARE YOU EXPECT ME TO FEEL GUILTY FOR THOSE I BETRAYED WHEN THEY REJECTED ME AFTER MY IDENTITY AND MY ORIGINS WERE REVEALED!? HOW DARE YOU CONFLATE ME WITH THAT WITCH WHO ONLY WANTS A WEAPON INSTEAD BEING HER CHILD!? HOW DARE YOU DEPLORE ME FOR MY FORMER LOYALTY TO MY KING WHEN HE DENIED ME AS HIS OWN SON, WHO WAS BEEN BETRAYED FIRST BY HIS FATHER!? MOST OF ALL, HOW **DARE **YOU THINK THAT I NO LONGER HAVE HONOR AS A KNIGHT WHEN I REBELLED AGAINST EVERYTHING IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!?"

The parts of her armor mechanically shifted over her head until it was completely covered in metal, a knight helmet with long upward horns on the sides…as though it was the face of a demon.

Raising Clarent, Mordred screamed bloody murder as she used her Mana Burst to charge straight at her only target before anyone could object her, leaving trails of red static. She didn't care that she sensed multiple mana signals of Servants coming to the summoning chamber as fast as they could after they felt her mana reserves unleashed and overheard her roars of murderous intent echo through multiple levels of Chaldea. She cared nothing for the muted screams of the people around her to stop. All she desired was to **DESTROY** this "Dark Saber" who talked down to her like a disobedient child playing knight. To make matters worse, he didn't even flinch or tense as she came at him, bringing her wrath upon him, yet he only stood like a statue with no fear or nervousness leaking off him.

He was perfectly calm despite the situation he foolishly brought himself to, his unperturbed demeanor greatly reminded Mordred of her father.

It was the last straw!

"PREPARE YOURSELF, _DARK SABER_!" Mordred's blood-curdling voice was distorted behind her helmet, making her voice not belong to a girl. It was the mechanical-like voice of demonic knight bringing retribution upon poor souls as she almost reached at her now hated target.

Ignoring the startled Fujimaru sisters with wide eyes of shock and horror as she bypassed them, time seemed to slow down as Mordred raised her Noble Phantasm higher and brought her electrified blade down to Dark Saber.

_CLANG!_

The clash between Clarent and foreign metal caused a powerful shockwave that knocked not just the screaming Fujimaru sisters, but also the near hysterical spectators behind them off their feet. Caster had braced herself for the blowback, yet it was more than she could have imagined. Her hood was blown off and her eyes temporarily obscured by the fierce gale.

Taking some time to gather herself as with the others, Caster's closed eyes slowly opened, revealing her sky-blue irises of beauty to the world, and they widened in disbelief. Following her lead were Helena, Ryoko, Ritsuka and Mashu, all gaping or slack-jawed. Da Vinci, Ida, and Akara had gone bone-white at the sight.

Dark Saber and Mordred were in a stalemate. He had moved his left arm and simply blocked Mordred's blade with his purple shield just in the blink of the eye before it cut through his armor and flesh. There's not even a cut or scratch on the shield after Clarent made contact on it. The sword was still crackling with red electricity and it spread over the shield and to the dark knight's armor, who was matter a fact ignoring the electrical currents dancing around his shield and body. His body wasn't tensing or twitching in pain or discomfort. Most of all, despite the momentum of her charge and her great strength, Mordred had not moved or knocked off Dark Saber as he stayed on the same spot and stood strong on the ground.

"What-?" Mordred began

"_Splendid_. You have Morticon's short temper as well."

Behind her steel mask, she blinked owlishly at Dark Saber's sarcastic comment, her bewildered eyes staring at him who's been nonchalant what has transpired. She would yell at him for them if weren't questions in her head need to be answered. "Why aren't you in pain!? How can there be another knight is strong as me in strength that I specialize in!?"

"For the electric power, I will admit that I did felt it, but I've had worse. The Yellow Ranger's Lightning Magic can do much better than your little electric shock." The purple knight coolly replied before turning his helmet almost robotically at her, the girl's demonic helmet reflected in the black void of his visor that shows no emotions. "As for physical strength, you are strong, I must confess. However, don't assume there's no other knight as superhumanly strong as you. In fact, compared to your brother, Gawain, you fall short as you waited until the sun had set to engage him in battle. Lastly..._**who**_ said I'm as strong as _you_?"

For emphasis, he slowly nudged his shield forward against her Clarent, causing her to grit her teeth and narrow her eyes as she's been slowly pushed backwards by telling of her dragging feet. She tried to push back, but to her frustration, anger, and disbelief, the dark knight didn't even budge an inch. She was struggling and he was winning. And worse, she found him putting no effort of the strength of his push. Seeing this, the New Servant scoffed.

"Your strength is **pale **in comparison to the last Berserker I fought with and defeated. You are no Mighty Heracles."

His proclamation caused everyone's eyes to widen even more as their faces became paler, including Mordred and especially Medea who squeaked "HERACLES!" in shock and fear. No one blamed the latter. It wasn't very common for someone with no Divinity to defeat the greatest Greek Hero who was one of the strongest heroes that ever existed, and lived. For Mordred, she tried to call out bullshit but due to the heaviness of his aura and the firmness of his voice, to her and anyone in the room Dark Saber was **dead **serious.

Suddenly, he leaned forward to the silver knight with red colors, his helmet several inches away from hers.

"But most of all, you are **no** King Arthur." Dark Saber coldly stated, causing stunned Mordred to almost bug-eyed as she inwardly felt a painful arrow struck through her heart. But he wasn't done.

"You are not as talented as your father."

Again, a new arrow struck in her heart.

"You don't have the same potential like your father."

Another arrow came in.

"You don't have the grace and tact of battle like your father."

Again, another arrow.

"You are maybe stronger in strength, but on other abilities, you are weaker than your father."

Again.

"King Arthur had fought valiantly and honorably as a knight, but you, a delusional and temperamental child, let your intense emotions controlled of you and your so-called honor is not strong as your father's."

And again.

"You may be the biological 'son' of King of Knights, but let me ask you these questions: given everything you have done that I have listed for you, do you think everyone in Camelot will accept the ultimate traitor of King Arthur's court as the new King of Britain? Are there any good, solid reasons that you should be their king...? Do _**you**_ even know what it means to be a _good king_, anything at all?" To his disappointment, dead, cringing silence was his answer. Then his voice became the coldest spectators had heard. "_**Princess**_, no one in Camelot would accept you as their king, even you if you became one, they will go against you and make every attempt to overthrow you as a tyrannical, selfish, bastard child of King Arthur instead of being their ruler. Which can be ironic, isn't? In Camelot, you rebelled against everyone, and if you become their new king, everyone will REBEL against _**you**_. Accept it, you are not like Arthur and you will never be like Arthur as King of Britain. You are **nothing** like _her_. YOU ARE _**NOTHING**_."

"NOTHING."

"BUT."

"A."

"DISGRACEFUL."

"FAKE."

"COPY."

"OF."

"**KING ARTORIA PENDRAGON**."

Multiple internal arrows struck over Mordred's heart all at once.

Practically everyone, including wide-eyed Helena, Ryoko, and Mashu had their mouths covered in their hands while Ritsuka had all the hinge of his jaw dropped. As the purple knight leaned back then suddenly-

_SCHWIIIIIING!_

_SCHWIIIIIING!_

_SCHWIIIIIING!_

-Dark Saber, who was still in a deadlock with Mordred, in a delicate situation wherein his neck was the focus of three sword tips. But he didn't seem to be bothered by it. In fact, he got curious as he looked around, carefully turning his neck, and examined each owner of the swords.

It was the three members of the Knights of the Round Table. Knight Servants.

Sir Tristan, Knight of Lamentation.

Bedivere, the first member and the king's caretaker.

And Lancelot du Lac, Knight of the Lake.

All of three of them had stoic faces, but their eyes betrayed them as they glared daggers at the dark knight.

"You have said enough, knight. Do not speak anymore words to insult our comrade." Bedivere ordered, his voiced leaked in stern and hardness.

Before Dark Saber could respond, he heard multiple of footsteps echoed from the exit and getting closer until-

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

"My knights, Ritsuka, please explain to us what has happened here!?"

-he turned and saw more occupants had entered the summoning chamber. He found all the Servants like him had been summoned in Chaldea, including the rest of the members of the Round Table, had come for the commotion and all eyes drawn to him and those surrounded him. The New Servant had found the owners of the voices.

The first voice was Jeanne Alter, looking quite pissed that her duel had been interrupted.

And the second was Saber Artoria Pendragon, her eyes narrowing in question while hints of worry coloring them as she had thinned frown on her calmed face.

Unnoticed by all, the Princess of Colchis displayed a rare moment of frustration and put her face in her hands in despair. Hopefully, the Knights of the Round Table would not hold a grudge and fight against Dark Saber who is a True-Magic Monster Servant, and hoping the summoning chamber wouldn't become a battlefield with full of enraged Servants…

_Oh, who am I kidding? We're all doomed. _Medea thought in comical hopelessness.

And no one seemed to notice Mordred had her head lowered, her helmet hid her face as nobody could see the poor girl's depressed expression while her wide, hollow, and red puffy eyes leaking tearful waterfalls of despair down on her cheeks. Her once fiery spirit had been extinguished into a feeling of sadness and despondency.

Almost no one.

_Mordred…I'm so sorry. _Whimpered the oldest of the Fujimaru sisters.

* * *

_**Unknown World**_

Not since his time alive had him breathed this hard, not since his time alive he fought so hard. Alive, that precious state of being he'd taken for granted. He had so much time to reflect on his life choices and question where he went wrong. One face in particular came to mind. A part of him wanted to turn and confront that person, erase him once and for all, but he couldn't do that. Of all the lessons he'd learned, it was to keep his mind focused on the goal.

The goal was coming into view.

"It's him! The Dragon Prince!" Shouted a female voice that made his blood boil almost as hot as his flames.

"Stop him! No matter what, he cannot pass!" Sounded a second male voice. He knew this voice too well, and hated it with a passion.

They were trying to stop him, those fools who'd insisted on holding onto honor and decency in a place that had none. The mere thought of it caused his body to erupt into black and red flames, yes, the all-consuming flames of the Infernal Realm. In life, he hadn't been able to completely master them, but in this sand-filled hell, he'd managed to do so. With the dark power running through him, he slashed, clawed, and outright shoved his way through the hordes. Some called out to him, begging for him to take them with him.

He had no such plans. If these monsters and demons couldn't escape on their own, then it was their own damn fault.

Wings spread out, he focused all his remaining power into them, turning the limbs into organic jet engines. If there was ever a time for the tactic, then it was now. His feet left the ground, carrying him over hundreds of bodies all smashing against one another in a gory of violence and desperation. If he fell, then it was all over.

Shoots from ahead, and from behind. Curses from behind.

With every word, he wanted to turn back and silence the incompetent traitors and fools who'd earned his ire.

Gripping his spear, he twirled it several times releasing a dozen fiery arcs, then finished with an enormous fireball from his mouth. Each attack took out a sizable amount of the opposition, but it still wasn't enough.

Coming up from behind was the traitor, his double-bladed spear raised high and coming down upon him. Cursing, he executed a spinning parry that sent sparks and shockwaves rippling through the air. The second mouth glowed with power. For a brief second, fear grasped the demon's heart.

"_**NO!" **_

It came from nowhere, but it was not unwanted. Power surged through him, enveloping him like a cocoon. Every corner of his body swelled with energy, all of it was quickly put to use in pushing away his pursuer. All he could do was cursed as the force threw him backwards, temporarily crippling his wings. He knew how the other two would react, rather than pursue freedom, they'd tend to him. They could remain in the Shadow World together, forever.

Surging with power, he faced forward and flew. Attacks of all manner sailed the skies around him and curses filled his ears. He ignored it all and flew, and flew, and flew.

Through the shimmering rainbow-colored light, he passed through, his eyes going blind as from the transition.

And then he emerged into darkness. His body crashed down into something hard, stone perhaps, and skidded along until coming to a stop.

Oddly, he didn't taste blood or feel injuries anywhere on his body. In fact, he felt almost…renewed.

"My, my, quite an entrance. Then again, it's to be expected since I was the one behind the summoning. A top-class Servant for a top-class Master."

Wide-eyed, the demon was on his feet. His spear manifested in his arms as he swung it forward, white-hot rage consuming his soul. "SILENCE! I AM **OLYMPIUS**, PRINCE OF DEMONS, SERVANT TO NO ONE!"

Then it all stopped as Prince Olympius ignored his double-take of hearing what he had said automatically at the end of his sentence...because his attack had been halted.

His spear ceased its motions in mid-swing as if he'd just hit an impregnable shield. Raw adrenaline and rage still coursed through Olympius' being, causing him to struggle and push to free his weapon. Faintly, his eyes registered the presence of hooded figures around him, _humans_. What he attempted to do next was second-nature. At least until a voice stopped him.

"Calm yourself, Dragon Prince. I can assure you; you are among allies."

Male, mature, silky, and unfailingly polite.

And yet it carried the promise of pain if he didn't do as instructed.

A familiar dread washed over him, a terror he associated with only one being. Wisely, Olympius allowed his body to relax, one end of his spear falling to the ground. With the rush ended, it seemed he needed a moment to collect himself.

"Good, take a moment. Summoning Rituals can be rather hard on first-time Servants."

Reluctantly, he did so. Olympius took a moment to digest his surroundings. For starters, he was indoors, and presumably in the Real World. Torches lit the giant spherical chamber, multiple lights danced across the stony surface. Glancing downward, he found he was far from alone, robe-wearing humans surrounded him, and yet they all felt…different. They were far from alone.

"You!" Cried the Dragon Prince, standing upright as he spotted someone unexpectedly and he pointed at them. "You're…you're…!"

"I am the one who will be taking your head, _prince_, if you don't shut the hell up! You interrupted my drinking for this!" Thundered red-skinned monstrosity, all six of his eyes glaring daggers at Olympius.

The Dragon Prince readied himself to respond before the same voice from behind kindly cut him off. "Do please ignore Saber. He's rather cranky when pulled away from his drinking."

"Aren't all drunks?"

"Why you-!"

"Enough!" Bellowed one of the robed figures. It was…odd to see a human carry such power and weight in their voice. Upon closer examination, Olympius realized he wasn't surrounded by normal humans. Beneath the hood, blood-red eyes glistened while a maniacal smile spread. "Our apologies for any perceived slight, Prince Olympius. I imagine you have many questions, but know this-you have emerged from the Shadow World, alive and well, better than alive actually."

Wide-eyed, the demon spun around. The human had spoken the truth, and then some. Before him stood four massive pillars of obsidian black. Between them crackled red and black lightning, swirling around a mass of white and black from which faint distorted images could be seen. Olympius took a whiff of the air and blinked.

"**Chaos Magic**, you all…you are Chaos Sorcerers?" He inquired; his previous scorn forgotten about.

The hooded man chuckled. "Yes, something of a rarity in this world you see. By the way, this world isn't the one you know of. Tell us, have you…ever heard of the Holy Grail War?"

Though he senses he was no longer in danger, Olympius kept his guard up. He didn't trust anyone present, but he knew his back was still against the wall. Besides, his interests had been piqued. "Mother… mentioned it a few times. A contest of so-called 'Heroic Spirits' fighting it out for some prize, the Holy Grail."

The unknown male voice chuckled, causing the demon's scaled skin to tingle in discomfort. He didn't like the laugh. "Yes, but she failed to tell you the more…finer details. You see, Prince of Demons, should one possess a…**different **type of Holy Grail, more than a lowly Heroic Spirit can be summoned. Spirits, such as ourselves."

There was a snap, then the portal began to dissipate. Olympius felt the flames inside of him surge in unholy ecstasy as the stone beneath the portal opened up and he caught a glimpse of _**it**_. The pure _**evil **_plumes of darkness leaked outward onto the floor. His demonic heart raced in his chest and his mouth inhaled as much of the malevolent taint as he could.

"Ah…_**now **_I understand." For the first time, he smirked before he laughed. The bellowing sound filled the giant chamber like a clamp of thunder before a storm. He wasn't alone as several of the room's other occupants chuckled as well. Though he was still peeved at the humans present, he could accept them for _what _they were. In time, there's a chance they'd physically leave humanity behind. "So, I take it I've been revived as one of these…Servants?" Questioned the prince, flexing his hands.

"Yes, you have." Answered the voice with open glee. "Surely you can feel the power coursing through you, power greater than what you possessed in your first life on your home world."

Now somewhat satisfied, Olympius turned to face the owner of the voice. What met his eyes was a seemingly human man dressed in ornate, red, gold, and black robes. They glistened in the light revealing the horrid and even malefic images that had been woven into the scrollwork. Atop his shoulders were two serpents hissed in delight. While the pillars and robed humans carried traces of Chaos Magic, the man _**radiated **_it. In one look, Olympius knew he was talking with a beast of earth-shaking power.

He had to play his cards right, lest he be returning to the Shadow World.

"You know of me, yet I do not know you."

"Ah, forgive me! I was waiting for you to regain your bearings before introductions." Purely white teeth were revealed in a malicious smile that was complimented by the golden eyes, eyes held within a pair of blood-red scleras. Stepping back, the tanned-skinned man bowed, his serpents continuously hissing. "Welcome to the World of Alaya, and welcome to the humble abode of the **Anjhat Angra.**" Rising, his reptilian eyes met those of Olympius'. "You may address me as **Caster of Hell,** and from this moment onward, your title shall be **Lancer of Hell**."

"Hm, Lancer of Hell," Mused the Prince of Demons. Slowly, his own mouth morphed into a devilish smile that mirrored his newfound ally's. "Yes, I believe that title will do. Now then, when do we go to war?"

* * *

***pokes head out* Hey, I warned you all. For the record, Mordred being roasted in my opinion has been something of a building issue since her "legend" is rather messy and sad. As many of you who've read my other works know, I don't cut corners when it comes to Servants' legends, ESPECIALLY if they're unsavory or just out-right horrific. With Mordred, well, she's going to be part of the main cast and she IS going to be going through some character development. And no, it won't all be pretty. Everything Koragg said is how one can view the real-life legend of Mordred and that is going to be a factor in this story. At the end of the day, Mordred's story is one that goes against everything mythical knights were supposed to stand for, likable or not.**

**On a more personal note, I'm sorry but Koragg's speech had to be made. As I always do, remove the lovable traits and look at Mordred's actual legend, what she did was the WORST possible thing anyone who calls him or herself a knight could possibly do. Even if he is a dark knight, Koragg is pretty much the pinnacle of what a true knight should be in terms of behavior while Mordred...isn't. Harsh as it was, the reasons he listed are honestly why Artoria never made her king, there's a helluva lot more to ruling than just the blood in your veins or being able to swing a sword, and honestly I believe if Mordred had been made king, Camelot would have ended up at war and possibly burnt to the ground due to endless fighting. As faulty as Artoria/Arthur's reign was, it was still preferable to that of others at the time who either ruled by ego or by the sword, Camelot's destruction pretty much hurled Britain back into the chaotic cesspool the Round Table had fought to pull it out of, and like it or not Mordred's actions rendered all those sacrifices mute. Koragg isn't the type to beat around the bush with these things, though Mordred really opened herself up to it by barging in and being...well, herself. It doesn't exactly help that everything Koragg listed applies to Mordred as a character of Arthurian lore rather than just the Fate-version.**

**Moving on, Helena and Ryoko landed summoned quite the Servant, huh? There were a few cameos from the supporting cast and future major players. More character expansion later as Chaldea…adjusts to its latest resident. While one of its own tries to put herself back together. In the meantime, more exploration of Chaldea, twenty-plus years into the future!**

**With the last segment, I'm certain you all can see where this story is going to be going. The set-up will be similar to Fate/Apocrypha with multiple factions going at it, and it **_**WILL **_**get messier than Apocrypha ever did. Trust me on that. Until the next chapter, when the Knight Wolf makes his combat debut! **


	4. Chapter 3-Meeting the New Guy

**Hiya, everyone! Last chapter ended on a pretty big cliffhanger so I won't waste in time in showing what happens next, or how things led up to that point. **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark order**_

_**Chapter 3 - Meeting the New Guy**_

* * *

_**Chaldea, 3:15 PM…**_

Personally, Ritsuka liked to think it was a good thing he could pinpoint when his life forever changed. It was when he agreed to take that seemingly normal blood test that had been offered at his high school. At times, he found it hard to believe that day was over twenty years ago, when he was no older than his oldest daughter. The moment he'd agreed to take that test was the moment his life took a strange yet exciting turn that he never could have predicted. Though there'd been some downsides, times he'd felt like he was going to go under and never come back up, he always did either by his own strength or by those around him. He was proud to have walked it as he'd gained far more than he'd lost: wisdom, friends, a wife, and two beautiful children.

At times, it was hard to believe he'd survived everything Chaldea had thrown at him. After it all, some would have questioned why he kept on coming back to the organization; the answer was simple - he was a part of it, and the people within it had become family. That family had grown slightly over the years.

Ida Altemose, last of the once illustrious Altemose Clan. Like him, Ida hadn't asked for her life to so radically change, and like him she'd been saved by an unlikely source.

Ritsuka's trained ears picked up the conversation the two girls were having, playful cracks at one another primarily centered around Helena's school life. "So, did you tell what's-his-name how you felt before you left? For all you know, it could be the last time you see him."

"Not you too! Dammit, I've gotten far enough in my relationship with Genzo!"

"And by that you mean no relationship at all." Coolly shot back the German-Syrian girl with a leering smile. "Now look, since you're a friend, I'm willing to help you out. The day I perfect Mystic Eyes I'll roll back time for you just. Who knows, you maybe be able to-"

"_Tais-toi_! _Tais-toi_! I heard enough probing from my parents, I don't need it from you, you maniac!" Screeched the blue-eyed girl, slamming her palms against those of her friend's. "Besides, you're the last person to call me a maniac! _Folle!" _

Ida grabbed at Helena's wrists and with rather surprisingly ease, pried them away to reveal a near-feral smile. "Ain't that the pot calling the ketal black, _wahnsinniger_. You pride yourself on your mental imbalance just like me, but you're scared of frightening Genzo off. Quite shameful if you ask me. Aren't you witches supposed to be a lot proud of your seductive charm and ability to sway men with a mere glance or shake of your hips?"

"I'm trying to avoid coming on too strong! Not everyone can handle all of this on first glance!" Shouted back the Japanese-French girl, pointing her fingers in the direction of the central structure. "It's a lot for normal people to take in!"

"Isn't he some crime prince? What is Japan's syndicate called again? The…ya…buza?" Ida feigned, notching her head to the side.

"It's yakuza, and there's a world of difference between gangsters and us! I'm trying to impress him, not scare him off, or get him to blab to the world about things he shouldn't!"

While the two girls continued their squabble, the youngest sister hung back, lightly whistling to herself as her older sibling tried in vain to defeat Ida in a battle of words. Last Ryoko checked they were about even, but that was about to change. She was more than content to watch their back and forth, besides, it was best for Helena. Her…romantic entanglements weren't exactly a well-kept secret, in spite of what she liked to believe. Ida would only be the first to press her about her progress, or lack therefore of with the object of her affections. The likely second person to question her was standing right beside Ryoko, and enjoying the show just as much as she was.

"Glad to see she hasn't changed, and neither have you."

Ryoko turned to her right, her thin smile blossoming into a full-blown smile. The falling snow was gently sticking to the unseen figure beside her. Of course, to her, the figure was fully visible. While she was willing to admit Akara's camouflage had gotten better, it still wasn't enough to fool her. Or perhaps it was due to her witch-nature; Akara wasn't exactly a dragon, but he was close enough that she could always sense his presence. Just like that day almost five years ago when they first met. "Seriously? Not even physically? Mom said I grew an inch or two over the spring."

"Don't see it."

Laughter erupted between the witch and the unseen male. The former held out her head, and the latter responded in kind, bare knuckles met bandaged knuckles, warmth exchanging between them. Seemingly from thin air manifested another of Chaldea's adolescent wards. Like Ida, he too was buddle up for the snowy weather, albeit his clothing had been somewhat modified. It couldn't be helped, Normal humans could only stand so much cold weather, but a human with the blood of various cold-blooded reptiles? Some would have argued that he only lived up here because he had nowhere else to go, but they were wrong. Chaldea had other branches, some in warmer areas that would have been better suited for the half-reptile teen, but Chaldea's northern base had something none of the others it did. It had the people he'd come to call his family. Amusement crackled in his copper-colored eyes. To Ryoko, a visible layer of heat coated his body, much of it coming from the bandages wrapped him.

"Great to see you again, Akara." Laughed the youngest of the sisters. From what she could see, he'd cut his hair short again. Perhaps he'd grown tired of the ponytail that Fionn had tied it into after losing another bet.

"Feeling's mutual, to all of you." Laughed the older male, spinning on his heel. While he owed much to the Dragon Witch sisters, the same could be said to their parents. The man who'd opened his home to him, and the woman who'd done her best, albeit quiet, to help him come to grips with what he'd become. That gratitude fueled his every step and caused him to hold his arms out. Not missing a beat, Joan practically threw her duffle bag into his arms. "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Fujimaru." He began, bowing his head in respect. "Da Vinci sent me out first to tell you all that she's already got things set up in the summoning chamber. Oh, and Mash will be handling dinner tonight. Her little gift to you all."

"And what about you, Akara? You'll be helping out too, right?" Playfully asked the older male, causing the teen to turn away in slight embarrassment. "You have been taking lessons from EMIYA, right?"

Beneath the senior Master's gaze, Akara's cool demeanor began to crack. With only a side glance, he'd seen through the boy and deduced almost every secret he'd been holding in. Or rather, the surprise he'd been hoping to spring on the Fujimaru family. "Er, well…yeah I have. N-N-Not that I've made much progress, at least not compared to Mash. At best I'll just be another hand on the kitchen staff. Oh, and…um, you see-"

Joan saw the shift in his eyes and connected the dots near immediately. All around her, the temperature sky-rocketed. Those that had bundled themselves up for the arctic weather suddenly found themselves seriously debating discarding it. They'd gone from standing in the frozen north to the rim of a blazing hot volcano; one that was on the eve of erupting. Only Ritsuka and Akara was able to maintain anything resembling calmness as the former Servant spoke. "Akara, where is she?" Her voice was flat, if only slight tinged with irritation. Compared to how she was almost a decade back, it was a major improvement. Up ahead of them, those who'd heard her question began to wisely move out of the way. Others were hurrying inside as they wanted a front row seat to the coming action.

The bandaged boy pointed to the other end of the airfield, towards the sliding doors that Helena and Ida stood before. Both girls seemed undaunted by the sudden mood change of the former Avenger; in fact, they seemed still caught up in their own discussion. "Artoria Alter's waiting for you in front of the gym. Oh, and there's a chance that Saber-Artoria will be-"

"I'm coming for you, you English-borne bitch!" Red-hot flames exploded from Joan's feet as her voice carried over through the mountain range, and the base built into it. Surely it resounded through Chaldea's halls like a declaration of war. Scratch that, it actually was one. Those that heard it took it as their cue to get the hell out of the way before the Frenchwoman could railroad them.

"Go kick her ass, mom!" Happily shouted Helena as she and Ida stepped aside just in time to avoid the older woman's way. In the case of Ida, she more or less jumped backward, as if she were in the thick of combat. Helena merely stepped to the side as if it were a casual affair. To her, it was. With a giddy expression, she watched her mother literally blaze a trail down the hallway, her footsteps leaving blacken imprints in the snow and eventual metal floor. She turned to Ida with a wicked grin, the German-Syrian girl returned it with a vigor smirk. In a heartbeat, the two girls were quickly following after the Servant-turned fashion designer.

"Ah, I've missed this place!" Exclaimed Ritsuka with a big smile, stretching his arms upward while Akara and Ryoko chuckled at the sight. It'd been nothing less than what they were expecting.

"Senpai! Ryoko!"

Now it was Ryoko's turn to smile and burst into running. The bags slung over her shoulders and arms did little to weigh her down as she practically launched herself into the arms of the approaching purple-eyed woman. Chaldea's one and only Shielder laughed as she caught her youngest god-daughter in her arms, wrapping them tightly around her and sending her greetings.

He'd gained a sister in the lilac-haired woman hugging his youngest daughter. Ritsuka liked to think back to the day he'd first presented Helena to his first Servant, how Mash's legs had trembled when he pushed the slumbering girl into her arms. Like him, in spite of all they'd been through, it was the smallest of things that left the Demi-Servant speechless. The young girl who'd been shy and standoffish had stuck with him through thick and thin, and became perhaps the best godmother to his children he could have asked for.

Most evident was Mash's growth spurt over the years, having gone from a small five-foot-one to a somewhat more impressive five-foot-six. Once upon a time, she towered over his daughters, but time passed and Helena steadily outgrew her godmother; now Mash and Ryoko were almost eye-to-eye with one another. If she followed after her sister and mother then she'd surpass her godmother in height, something Mash had told him he was somewhat looking forward to. Even when that day came, it wouldn't stop Ryoko from wanting to be spoiled by the Demi-Servant. Helena had outgrown her godmother a while ago, yet still treated her with all the same love and affection, partially expecting a reward from it all.

Following a slight break in the embrace, Mash's eyes wandered over to Akara and Ritsuka respectively. Bounding over, she first took the duffle bag off of Akara then moved to Ritsuka. Joyfully, the human shook his head.

"Trust me, I've gotten used to this, maybe a bit too used to it."

"Well, you did marry a fashion designer who likes shopping and usually brings home loads and loads of bags." Noted Mash with a giggle.

"Not that anyone's complaining about it." Added Ryoko with a wide smile. "So, um, Auntie Mash, are the FATE System and SHEBA up and running? As in running enough that we can use them?"

"Do you really think your parents would drag you guys out here along with all these other folks if they weren't?" Chided Akara.

Ryoko leered at the Thai-native. "What? You aren't willing to believe we were willing to come just to see you, Ida, and all the others?"

"Nuh-uh, you love us, but not that much."

"Really? Not even me?" Inquired Mash, tilting her head to the side in a playful, sad manner.

To the amusement of her father and friend, Ryoko's composure crumbled. Smart-mouthed and quick-thinking she may have been, her godmother still had her beat in some departments. Quite a feat some proclaimed considering Mash was practically one of the kindest Servants within Chaldea's walls. She was lucky that she had already gone on ahead, then again, she probably would have been in a similar position as her. Luckily, their father was in a merciful mood as was their godmother. At his behest, the group began down the walkway. Those who'd watched the Fujimarus quiet did the same, visibly happy that they'd seemingly escaped death, this time, and things could proceed on schedule.

"So, how was your trip to Spain? I heard you bumped into some associates of the Clock Tower?" Innocently questioned Mash as they passed through the doors. Near instantly, the building's state of the art air conditioning was chasing away the harsh coldness that had been nipping at them. "I, um, heard you raised a bit of a fuss, or was it Joan?"

"It was me this time. The…associated I ran into was Lady Larissa and her family." Answered the human with a crooked smile. It was clear just the act of recalling the memory was painful for him.

Mash could hardly blame him. Though the latest head of the Edelfelt Family didn't hate Ritsuka per se, it was a well-known fact that the latter's casual and calm demeanor was…off-setting to her. More than a few believed her often over-the-top reactions to his presence and attitude were a front to mask the romantic attraction she might have held for him. Though Larissa Edelfelt was a bold and often aggressive woman, she wasn't suicidal; suicidal is the only term one could have used when describing trying to seduce the lover of a former-Servant, an Avenger, who also happens to be able to control dragons. Amongst the circles of magus, stories were still told of the handful of idiots who'd attempted to do so. While many bore resentment against Ritsuka for one reason or another, there was one even the most traditional and prideful of magus could agree on - he kept his wife, Jeanne Alter, from killing anyone who crossed her.

"To be frank, I kind of wish you were there with us. There was this one guy who was a big King Arthur enthusiast, especially in regards to ancient relics and where they might be now. In particular, he was fascinated with the Sword of Galahad." A sideways grin set Mash on edge, not soon after a cold shiver ran through her body. "I was thinking maybe I could introduce you to him. He's young and good-looking. In fact, I pretty sure he and I snagged a picture to-"

"N-N-No! No! I-I-I mean, I-I'm fine! R-Really, senpai! You don't have to go that far for me." Cried the Shielder, close to losing her balance as they continued to walk. Unfortunately for her, their conversation had been anything but private.

"That sounds like a great idea! It'd give you the chance to get out and meet some new people! Not to mention you may even be able to find a decent boyfriend!" Declared Ryoko, grinning at her godmother thus causing her face to blush hot pink.

Though keeping his eyes forward, Akara had kept his ears open. The trickster in him had been awakened, and he wasn't in the mood to stuff it down just yet. "That actually sounds like a good idea. I mean, she spends most of her time cooped up here with the rest of us looneys so she could stand to get out more."

"Look who's talking! You should get out with her! Seriously, both of you could use the social interaction! It's not like you'll fail miserably at it!"

"Last I checked, Helena was supposed to be the social expert. You're the one who analyzes people's flaws then snipes at them for it." Cracked Akara, giving the younger girl a sideways leer. Ryoko merely chuckled, not at all denying that it indeed was her pattern. "At the very least Mash is attractive enough to attract attention. Since she's not going to mention it, I'll say it. A few weeks ago, one of Blue Star's representatives asked her for a-"

"Akara!" Cried the Demi-Servant, close to hurling the bags in her arms at the genetically modified boy in an attempt to silence him.

Ritsuka's eyes lit up like stars. "Someone asked you out? Mash, that's great! How was it, did you enjoy? Did he treat you-"

"She said no by spattering out some gibberish, bolted down the hallway, and then Rayshifted to who-knows-where." Answered Akara with a blank expression, though the traces of a smile could be seen on his face. "He said the offer still stands."

"Hm, that's two potential suitors. Mash, I'm proud of you."

"S-Senpai! M-My love life isn't your concern!"

"Ah, so you're admitting you do indeed have a love life? Like I said, I'm proud of you, Mash!"

"Can we please stop talking about me!? Ryoko, this is supposed to be you and your sister's big day!" Cried the lilac-haired woman with a face fast resembling a tomato.

"Exactly, but just because it is doesn't mean you both get to be careless!" Boomed a female voice that all four recognized quite well. For Akara, it was caused to snicker in amusement while Ryoko playfully rolled her eyes. She'd seen the declaration coming a mile away.

Having reached the end of the hallway, a familiar brunette stood before the group. Beside her, smoking a pipe stood fiction's greatest detective. Or second greatest depending on who you asked. Naturally, a pipe hung from the lips of the Englishman. Beside him hovered several chrome silver spheres with blue optics. Helena was currently playing with one of the robotic servants, and it seemed to be enjoying it as evident by the blinking of its optic eye and excited chirps.

"Ah, welcome back to Chaldea, Ritsuka, Ryoko." Holmes held the former's gaze for a second longer than the others. Given their relationship, Ritsuka knew what they meant, he understood the silent message at the blue-eyed Englishman was conveying. Both of them silently agreed to put things on hold onto later on, when they had some privacy. "I know that you girls have practically been waiting for this moment, so let's not waste any more time. The-"

Like their mother, the girls released a small but very noticeable burst of heat before sprinting through the door. Likely, it was opening just as they kicked off, otherwise, they would have blasted through the double-doors. Upon learning the Fujimarus were coming back, the base's engineering crews let out a collective groan. His family had built up quite a reputation.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they've gotten faster." Chuckled the inventor and Chaldea's chief scientific officer.

"I'd say they have." Ritsuka said, offering his bags to the spherical robots that hovered toward him. In seconds, metallic arms materialized around them, stretching out to take hold of them. Having already been given input, the spheres sped down the right hallway, not losing an ounce of speed due to the weight of the cargo they were carrying. "Before you ask, Joan's heading towards the gym. I've actually lost track of how many times this makes."

"Currently, your wife is tied with Artoria Alter so I imagine this fight will be especially brutal in spite of what your daughters have planned. Do not worry though, once your travel plans were solidified, I advised the engineering crew-"

"You mean ordered." Cracked Da Vinci.

"To tighten up the training field and brace for the worst. Now then, I believe your daughters are waiting. Medea's already there for as she said and I quote "_I want to see my cute, little witches summon a Servant_"." Technically, it wasn't an entire quote. Holmes purposely left out that Medea was hoping the girls' incoming Servant would be a new, cute girl in a cute dress. If that happened, dare he say, part of him would feel pity for the poor, new rookie will be targeted by Medea's…hobby. He doesn't need to say more words about Medea's other reasons since he said was enough for Ritsuka to draw the conclusion himself. "Akara, you will be with me. Da Vinci, and Ida in the control room. As usual, should anything go array…"

"Subdue it and if I can't do that, rip it to pieces." Answered the Thai-teen with a light smile. He turned to Ritsuka. "For the record, everyone's been placing a betting pool on what your daughters are going to summon. I put my money on a Saber."

"Anything else I need to know?" Inquired the veteran Master, crossing his arms. He knew for a fact that there was more to this, but he was willing to humor his friends. "Like what _other _bets have been made regarding my daughters summoning their first Servant? Or performing their first real rayshift?"

Da Vinci looked to Holmes, who merely held Ritsuka's gaze with all the focus of a razor blade. Ritsuka readily returned the expression, letting the Ruler know he could take whatever the detective had to say. Even if only for a second, the Japanese male knew he saw Holmes' lips tucked upward into a smile. While he may look the part of a passive and distant detective, Ritsuka knew there was indeed a real man behind it all. One that got his kicks out of chaos every now and then. And Holmes knew for a fact that his family did chaos _very _well.

Holmes' undercoat billowed in the air as he spun on his heel and proceed to the door, which slid open before him. "Let us just say with your daughters, whatever they summon, many are predicting that it will be something…eye-catching. I myself have joined the betting pool."

For the first time, Ritsuka laughed. Mash couldn't help but giggle, Akara snickered as he began to remove his snow coat since it was no longer needed. Doubly so since his two closest friends were about to toy with powers that tended to have earth-shaking effects. "Of course, whatever they summon is going to be eye-catching! They're _my _girls so that's a guarantee!"

* * *

_**Summoning Chamber, 3:55 PM…**_

There times Ritsuka hated his honed sixth sense regarding danger, and he hated how it was more often than not right on the money. He and danger had become unwilling albeit extremely close partners. Even in his day job, he flirted with it. Expecting construction sites first-hand, taking responsibility for failures that cost money and lives, and running the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Compared to what he'd endured at Chaldea, most of that seemed light, laughable almost. And as fate would have it, returning to the multi-national magus organization brought him face-to-face with danger again.

But this time he wasn't in the front row, his daughters were.

His daughters who'd summoned a creature he couldn't even begin to fathom, nor could the Servants around him. That fact alone had his heart racing a mile a second.

"…_Magic_. _**TRUE MAGIC**_…"

Ritsuka would never, not even as old age gripped him, forget the atmosphere of Solomon's Temple. Raw, magical energy that saturated the air like water particles and caused all the hairs on his neck to stand up on end. Sure, there was the fact he'd barely made it out of the temple alive, but the sheer vastness of it, the raw power and majesty of a world purely defined by magic; that's what stuck in his mind. Upon gathering himself, he discovered a similar feeling washing over him as he examined the dark knight Servant his girls had summoned. But different.

Solomon's magic had been majestic and powerful as befitting an ancient king.

This creature's magic was dark and malevolent, nearly suffocating him had he not grabbed hold of the reigns fast enough. For more than a quarter of those in the stands, those who'd awaited the girls' summoning, no such reigns could be grasped leaving them human-shaped fish, gasping for air or passed out completely. He'd summoned and seen a great many Servants, but none of them, not even Gilgamesh could compare to the armored entity his girls had summoned forth from the unknown.

And the entity had made quite a statement with his opening words.

Though mindful of the mess the summoning chamber had become, his wife turned her gaze toward him. _What the hell happened?! _She demanded in a voice loud with fury and surprise.

In spite of it all, Ritsuka could sense her relief. Upon storming into the chamber, Joan's eyes had immediately gone to her daughters. Silently, she'd sighed in relief seeing Helena and Ryoko were for the most part unharmed. Then she took notice of Mordred's hunched-over body with a broken look, the righteous anger on Lancelot, Bedivere, and Tristan's faces, Mash's trembling form and lastly Medea's despondent posture. After absorbing all of those details, she turned to him, who'd been there when the whole mess started.

Ritsuka was still trying to put the pieces together himself, but he had to give his wife an explanation. And a warning. _Well, remember how we talked about what the girls were going to summon? When we joked about a knight, we were right, but it seems they take after you a lot more than I thought! _

Putting her hands on her hips, the former Servant looked back to the mysterious newcomer, who was standing still as a statue while chaos continued to swell up around him. Artoria had broken from her side and gone to her daughter, whose quiet sobbing could be heard by those who listened closely. Joan honestly didn't know what to think of the Knight of Treachery's whipping, hell, she thought she'd grow old before she ever heard such a thing. _The body suit's pushing it…but I see what you mean. _She answered after giving the knight a look over. Unfortunately for her, or everyone else, he caught her attention. "So, I'm assuming my daughters summoned you, Servant?"

"…Correct." Came his flat response. Even with the blades of all three Round Table Knights at his throat, he addressed her as if it was all nothing out of the ordinary. If Joan's guess was right, it wasn't the first time this man had been in such a tight predicament.

"Uh, hey, mom?" Called Ryoko. Glancing to the side, Joan finally spotted her daughters, both looking just as shaken as their father, perhaps more so. "W-W-We-"

"I told you girls you could do it." The tension was broken, and for a split second, light shined amidst the chaotic maelstrom. For the first time, someone smiled, and it was the last person anyone was expecting. Helena and Ryoko felt their legs go wobbly as their mother beamed at them with a smile she normally reserved for the privacy of their home. It was quite a sight, uplifting one could almost say. "Tall, dark, intimidating, I'm proud of you two."

"H-His name is Dark Saber, by the way!" managed Helena, thawed out of the cold tension that had once enveloped the room.

"Dark Saber? The hell kind of weird name is that?" Spat the Frenchwoman, turning her gaze back to the new Servant, heedless of the cautionary signs others, including her own husband, were throwing her way. "Eh, I will say this though, you've got the look to go with the name. A Saber, huh? You're not from Britain, are you?"

A tension-filled second passed as the dark warrior regarded the pale-blonde. "No, I am not. I am not native to-"

"Knight!" Snapped Bedivere, his eyes still humming with fury. "Do not turn away from us, not after all that you have done!"

"Which is?" he casually fired back.

"You shamed one of our own, unprovoked might I add!" Thundered Lancelot, pushing Arondight's edge against the man's neck.

He didn't flinch, not in the slightest. "I merely spoke my mind, nothing more, nothing less. If you take issue with that, then so be it."

Though close-eyed, Tristan's cold gaze bore into the black and purple-armored warrior like drills. As with Lancelot's sword, it wasn't enough to make him flinch. "So, you are not going to apologize to Mordred?"

"I do not see a _reason _for me to apologize."

The hammer fell, and with it any hope of a peaceful resolution. Eyes widen and hairs stood on end as all occupants felt the naked hostility of the three knights sky-rocket. Several, particularly those who'd been watching events from the stands, began to scramble away. Others such as the Servants took up fighting positions, those that were still on their feet anyway. The rest were doing as the civilians and workers were fleeing for their lives. Frankly, it was hard to blame them.

Once upon a time, Ritsuka would have been one of those fleeing for his life. That was years ago, almost another lifetime. He also couldn't let a full-scale battle break out here where so many would get caught in the crossfire. That left only one option.

_Olga Marie, I REALLY wish you were still here with us. _Muttered the black-haired architect as he used a bit of magecraft to psychically push away the glass shards still lining the rim of the viewing window. "Hey!" His voice stretched outward, like a cry echoing across a vast valley. The various supernatural beings inhabiting said valley immediately responded to his voice. Ritsuka was thankful he'd at least at grown out his shyness, or most of it, otherwise he would have frozen up then and there. Cautiously, he held his hands up as he moved forward. First, he glanced to his daughters to make sure they were alright before swerving his gaze to his wife. Joan looked less than pleased, but acknowledged the need for his arbitration. Just as long as he didn't do anything stupid. Mash looked to him, only stepping aside after he affirmatively nodded his head. "Since the only way this is going to end will be a battle, can I at least ask that it moved…somewhere else? Some place more fitting?"

"You have an arena suitable for such a task?" Asked Dark Saber with genuine curiosity in his voice.

Registering that caused Ritsuka to relax. Though every logical side of his mind was telling him to remain on guard, there was…something about the strange warrior that made him ease up. If he wanted to kill them all, he could have done so. If he wanted to remove Lancelot, Tristan, and Bedivere's heads from their necks, then something told him he would have done so. "We…kind of have to, given the crowd we work with here."

"A madhouse really." Jested Helena with a nervous chuckle she inherited from her father.

Even with the blades to his throat, Dark Saber nodded his head in silent acceptance. The ball had officially been passed to the three who were still glaring daggers at him.

"Hey," Barked Joan, looking to her husband with a sideways glare. "In case you forgot, I was _already _using the place!" Several shot the long-haired woman pleading looks, causing her to reluctantly cave. "Fine! You can use it, but you better give us a damn good fight! I was pulled away from my fight for this!"

"And who pray-tell, were you doing battle with?" Questioned Dark Saber again.

Joan jabbed a finger toward Artoria, who was still doing her best to console a now silent Mordred. "King blondie's evil duplicate over there."

"Artoria Alter?" Noted Dark Saber, expressing true emotion for the first time. Needless to say, it caught onlookers off-guard, including the three men still holding their swords at his throat. The mysterious warrior turned his full attention to Joan; to the woman's credit, she did not budge an inch unlike those before her, including her daughters. Briefly, something flashed through the knight's black visor, something faintly resembled respect.

A silent conversation was being had between the three warriors encircling Dark Saber. Ritsuka's earlier proposal. Together, the men looked to their king and fellow knight. The former was desperately attempting to coax a response from the latter. They hadn't seen such a grave expression on her face in years, nor had they ever seen Mordred looking so…despondent. Mordred could feel a multitude of eyes on her, most of all, her "father's". The harsh, cold words of the newcomer continuously echoed in her head in tandem with Artoria's attempts to reach her.

"Mordred!? Mordred! Mordred!" Shouted the blonde-haired Saber as her daughter violently pushed her away, stood upright, tears streaming down her face, and then bolted out of the summoning chamber. For a few seconds, her metal armor clanged loudly in the ears of onlookers before she finally escaped their hearing range. Or some decided to stop listening at all. Fueled by her fully awakened maternal instincts, Artoria jumped to her feet and ran after her, completely ignoring those around her and in her way.

"AH!"

"EAH!"

It seemed just as those in the hallway had started to relax once Mordred cleared her way through, only to be in for a surprise when Artoria bolted past them, her trademark curtsy gone. Such behavior served as another indicator of how far south things had gone.

"Master! What is it, are Helena and Ryoko alright?!" Cried a feminine voice somewhat similar to the Dragon Witch's. As was her appearance, but with reversed colors. Instead of pale blonde hair, the new Servant's was as golden as ripe corn and braided. Bright, amethyst eyes filled with great worry searched the disaster area, only calming down once they fell upon the cerulean-eyed teens, who looked back to the newcomer with bright smiles. "Thank God."

"Auntie Jeanne!" Called Helena, waving her right hand. It seemed her earlier paralysis was now completely gone. "Uncle Sieg, hey!"

Like his French love, the Caster-class Servant breathed out a sigh of relief seeing his surrogate nieces were unharmed. Beneath his clothes, his scales began to recede having sensed that the danger had passed. Mostly speaking. After seeing that the girls were unharmed, Sieg looked to Ritsuka, who held up a hand as a signal. Then his eyes fell upon Dark Saber. "…It…looks like you girls summoned a…" He was obviously searching for the right words to use as he'd sized up the new Servant instantly. From deep within him, the dragon within him rose from its slumber. Yet another indicator of how delicate the situation was. Oh, and the three knights who had their swords at the newcomer's throats. "Um, excuse me, but exactly who is this?"

"Dark Saber." Answered Ryoko. Like her sister, she was rising through the fear-induced paralysis, albeit at a bit of a slower pace. "He, um, he's…"

"I answered the summons of these girls here." Spoke up the Servant in the same deep and commanding voice that set listeners on edge. "However, I have not resigned myself to call either of them my Masters yet."

A collective flinch ran through those present, especially the pair in question.

Joan's eyebrow twitched. "And why the hell not?"

The knight turned his head to meet the former Servant in the eye. "Because they have not _proven _themselves _worthy _to be called my Masters. Not yet."

Based on the looks of a few, a fight was coming, one that would level not just the summoning chamber but likely the entire west wing of the facility. Da Vinci's face was going through a mixture of emotions ranging from fear to outright hysteria. In complete contrast, the acting director of Chaldea, Holmes, remained stone-faced. At their side, Akara and Ida looked to one another, then to their friends still on the summoning platform. Should a fight break out, they knew what their duties were, they were fully prepared to die defending the arctic base that had become home to them, and the people that had become like their family.

Ritsuka counted a total of twelve seconds before his wife responded. He wasn't all too shocked with the answer she gave to Dark Saber's statement. "Ah, I see, then they'll be fixing that shortly." Joan Fujimaru, Jeanne Alter's trademark grin, the smile of malice and carnage, returned in full bloom as she stared down the magical newcomer. "Isn't that right, girls?"

Quietly, the veteran Master chuckled, as did the dragon-homunculus hybrid who was practically his brother-in-law. In contrast, Jeanne merely shook her head, a resigned yet hopefully smile on her face. Truly, some things never changed.

Proud and malicious grins spread across the two teenagers. Now they were on their feet, now an aura of blistering heat was being emitted from the both of them. Those who'd started to relax were suddenly back on edge courtesy of the daughters of the Dragon Witch of Orleans. Their fighting spirits had been roused by their mother and they were ready to assert themselves before the knight they'd summoned, True Magic or not.

"Hold for a moment, if you'd please." Came the level voice of the Knight of Lamentation. Focus suddenly shifted back to the three Round Table Knights, all of whom had been silently debating amongst themselves on what to do. Apparently, they'd reached a decision. "Helena, Ryoko, while we are proud of your accomplishment, I'm afraid one matter needs to be settled before you may assert yourselves."

Bedivere was next. "We ask of you, please, allow us to engage this…warrior first, for Mordred's sake."

The girls looked one another, then to the three knights. "Sure, just don't kill him."

"That is highly unlikely to happen."

And just like that, they were back to sharp glares and tension-filled silence. Either Dark Saber cared nothing for the situation around him, or he seemingly enjoyed stealing the spotlight for himself.

"I will battle these three, then the two of you." Dark Saber declared once more, ignoring the glares of the three knights. "Should you two either triumph over me or impress me, then I will acknowledge the pair of you as my Masters." Immediately, the girls' smiles grew wider.

"And should we prove victorious against you, then you shall apologize to Mordred." Boomed Lancelot, still keeping his eyes on Dark Saber. "Is that agreeable?"

"…Yes, to this training ground then."

"WAIT!"

Muted, almost all eyes looked over to the control room, or what remained of it. Da Vinci had thrown up her arms, sweat pouring down her face and naked fright dancing in her eyes. "A-At least give me a minute to g-g-get things set up! Please!"

"You sound worried, what's wrong? Afraid your little training room isn't up to stuff?" Snidely shot back the pale-blonde.

The inventor looked to the former Avenger with a screwed-up face, her arms pointing to the smoking, smoldering mess that had once been the summoning chamber. All Joan did was shrug her shoulders, half-conceiting to her point. Remarkably, the woman didn't completely clam up as Dark Saber's visor fell upon her.

"Um, w-w-well, um, give me three hours!"

"Sure you guys don't want to put things off until tomorrow?"

"No." Responded the four knights in unison, which three of them didn't seem too happy about.

"You heard them, Da Vinci, best to get started with preparations. Ida, feel like helping out?" Groaned Ritsuka. He already knew where things were going, all he could do was brace himself for the damages that were sure to follow. _Well, it's certainly more exciting than my first day here. I guess I should just be glad that no one has died…yet. _Looking back, he saw Ida give him a thumbs-up before dragging away a still-shaking Da Vinci. They had a lot of work to do and little time to do so. "Lancelot, Bedivere, Tristan, I know you're angry, but could you please sheath your swords? You'll have every chance to swing them, but that'll be later on."

It took a minute, but the three Round Table Knights complied with the Japanese man's request. Each of them stepped away and began to head for the door, but before exiting, all three give Dark Saber a look that could be described as pure malice. The dark-armored warrior barely batted a none-visible eye at them before they departed.

"Holy shit." Groaned Akara from the control room. His legs had finally given out on him, bringing his bottom to the floor and his back to the wall. "I thought that was never going to end."

Even Holmes relaxed, if only just a bit once the three warriors were gone. That said, the most volatile of the lot remained. _This Servant…he isn't human, not in the slightest. It would appear that the crisis we feared…is closer than we originally thought. Or perhaps we merely invited it into our home. _

"You there, are you indeed Ritsuka Fujimaru?"

Just as it seemed things were beginning to deescalate; Dark Saber spoke again. It was the first time that he'd directly addressed the head of the Fujimaru Family. Near instantly, all of the present Servants went on guard, but none more so than the man's wife. The lax aura that Joan had gained vanished, replaced by a silent readiness to kill and maim the knight if he made a move toward her husband, True Magic or no Magic. Even Medea, who'd been shaking in her robes, dared to glance upward with a sliver of determination in her eyes. Though she still believed their odds were slim to none in confronting this dark creature, she was willing to go against them if it meant protecting the man who'd saved humanity, and saved some of them from their own demons. Like their mother, Helena and Ryoko went on the alert as well. Their mindset and aura were dead ringers for their mother's.

Showing his experience, Ritsuka remained eerily calm as the mystical warrior turned his full attention toward him. At his right, stood Jeanne, her arms held out in preparation for summoning her flag. Perhaps more so than the others, she could feel the pitch-black _odor _that rolled off of the armored knight. Dark, malicious, hell-like. Biting her lips, the Maid of Orleans realized her nieces had summoned an actual demon for their first summoning ritual. She was torn between being horrified and slightly impressed. Privately, she decided she was going to have a word with her "sister" when things had quieted down.

To the human's left stood Sieg, his draconic nature having reawakened as evident by the scales running up his right arm and his silted eyes. The air grew heavy with power thanks to the subtle but noticeable defensive aura that the former homunculus was releasing. Should his mouth have opened, one could have seen the sharpening fangs. Deep within him, Fafnir had awoken, and he was spoiling for a fight that even Sieg knew they were most likely to lose. Regardless, he'd gladly take the pain and possible death if it meant saving his Master, and his brother.

At his front stood Mash, having summoned her trademark shield. Defensive weapon it was, getting hit by it would still hurt, and she'd grown effective at using the cross-shaped shield as an offensive tool, especially where her Master was concerned.

Letting out a cool breath, Ritsuka raised his arms and placed his palms on the shoulders of both. It didn't cause them to completely drop their guard, but they did move aside just enough to let the adult male step forward. Mash heeded a hand on the shoulder to move, though her grip on her shield remained tight and ready. He looked to his family first, giving each of them an encouraging smile before finally turning his attention to Dark Saber. "I am. Is it alright to assume that I've been…spoken of wherever you come from?"

"Yes, you have." He responded. "They call you a credit to the human race…and I'm tempted to agree with that statement." Once more, he caught occupants off-guard, especially the teenage girls who'd summoned him.

Taking note of the growing voices around him, Ritsuka put his curiosity on the backburner. There'd be time for questions later. "Well then, since introductions have been…sorta moved out of the way, how would you feel about a tour of Chaldea? From the looks of things, you're going to be staying here a while."

"Staying in this world, yes." Corrected the dark warrior. His shield was dismissed in a myriad of darkening sparkles and violet-colored tendrils that disappeared into thin air. "Very well, show me the inner workings of this place, Chaldea as you call it."

Multiple sets of eyes went to Ritsuka, all he could do was mentally tell everyone not to panic. It wasn't enough for his wife or daughters.

_Ritsuka! _

_I'll be fine! Call it a gut feeling, but-_

_I'm coming with you! No arguments, understand! Mash, you're coming with us, got it!_

_Y-Yes ma'am!_

Cerulean blue met golden yellow in a sharp exchange, one that wasn't unnoticed by the children of the pair. A dual gulp sounded as the girls watched their parents battle it out while keeping a side glance on Dark Saber.

Their mother came out the victor.

She shot them a near apologetic look, and a promise that they both would return to them alive. In the meantime, it fell to her "sister" and too-nice brother-in-law to keep the girls out of trouble. Joan wasn't going to hold her breath.

Following a nodding exchange, Ritsuka, Joan, and Mash walked out of the chamber, Dark Saber following behind them, silent as a ghost. And like a ghost, everywhere he went an unearthly chill trailed him. What felt like an eternity seemed to pass before the dark cloud was lifted over the summoning chamber. A multitude of bodies collapsed, a handful outright fainting from the pent-up shock.

"Holy hell, that was nuts!"

The sisters craned their heads around to find a tall, shirtless and tattooed man standing behind them. Like the others, he too had the look of a man who'd just narrowly escaped death. In fairness, he had, just like everyone else.

"I don't think 'nuts' qualifies." Sighed Ryoko, finally sinking to her knees. "What the hell did we just summon, Helena?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." Stated the older sister, a second later and her lips tucked upward into an all-too-familiar smile. "But one thing's certain - he's fucking awesome!" At that moment, those who were regained their senses were reminded of something - Helena wasn't called the "Second-Coming of the Dragon Witch" for nothing. "Come on!? Did you guys _feel _the kind of power he was giving off!? Ryoko, we did it! We summoned a Top Servant!"

"No, No!" Shrieked the Witch of Betrayal with a hysterical look, clawing at her light blue hair. "What you summoned was a monster! One capable of killing us all!"

"And yet we're all here, still standing. Well, except for Mordred, I don't think she's going to be a happy camper for a while." Whistled Yan Qing. He'd watched the entire thing, much to his amusement and discomfort. While Mordred certainly wasn't his favorite person to be around, watching her so harshly, coldly dressed down reminded him a bit too much of the way things worked in his time. Then again, the mysterious Saber-class Servant certainly seemed like a being sprung from ancient legends. "All that said, Helena's kinda right! You guys did summon something big, nice going!"

Ryoko huffed as the Assassin placed a gauntlet-covered hand atop her head and laughed alongside her sister. It took a good deal of self-control to keep from flash frying Yan Qing's arm off, or maybe setting fire to his ink-black hair.

"Big and scary, in other words, completely up to your alleys." Offered Akara, jumping through the shattered glass window and onto the chamber ground. He was mindful of the wreckage that littered the massive room, silently noting that it was going to take a few days at the least to get things up and working. "We still don't exactly know _who _you guys ended up summoning. I'm not gonna stand here and accept that 'Dark Saber' is an actual name, not even in the most remote parts of the world."

"Of course it wasn't a real name, it was a title!" Clarified Helena, smashing her right fist into her palm. "You all heard him, he wants us to prove we're worthy to be called his Masters, then that's what we're going to do. Right, Ryoko?"

The youngest witch crossed her arms, a look of resigned determination on her face. "Well, duh? It's not like we're going to turn tail and run away from our own Servant."

"Even if he's able to outfight Bedivere, Tristan, and Saber-Lancelot?" Questioned Akara. His eyes momentarily drifted toward Medea, who'd managed to get back to her feet. "And wields what is likely True Magic?"

Together, the Fujimaru sisters looked to their bandaged friend. Unlike many other males, his uniform was slightly undone, the coat zipper pulled half-way down revealing the teal-colored V-neck he wore beneath. During the tense stand-off, the sleeves on his white and green-colored uniform had been rolled up and the sealing bandages around his arms loosened. Now they were back to normal. Helena and Ryoko held up their adjacent arms. From their palms manifested red-hot flames, and through the flames one could make out draconic scales replacing human skin. The light of the fire illuminated the near-mystical crimson glow that now rimmed their eyes.

"Yeah, just double-checking to make sure you two don't get yourself dug too deep." Chuckled the Thai youth with a wave of his hand. "I'm gonna go find Mordred and try to cheer her up, or keep her from going on a rampage."

"Based on what we just saw, I don't think we need to worry about that." Quipped Yan Qing, earned himself a scolding glare from Medea.

"Speaking of which, what exactly happened?" Questioned Sieg, stepping forward. The Caster-class Servant had pieced together enough from the wreckage around him, but there were still pieces missing. "I…I heard her crying. Mordred, _**Mordred**__ crying_."

Helena and Ryoko looked to each other, as did Yan Qing and Akara. In the background, Medea shuffled uncomfortably.

"Well..." Began Ryoko, looking between her aunt and uncle.

"It's…well, it was a roast." Finished Helena with a hesitant look.

"A roast?" Questioned Jeanne, looking puzzled. Though she'd caught up enough on modern terminology, some of the slang still escaped her. It took her a moment to gather what her eldest niece was referring to. "O-Oh, oh my. I…I don't quite know what to say. This Dark Saber called out Mordred and walked away unscathed?"

"More like roped a chain around her neck, twirled her around, threw her into the bottom of the ocean, then dragged her back up with seaweed making her look like something from the _Black Lagoon_." Affirmed Akara.

"It was a mixture of impressive and uncomforting." Seconded Yan Qing. "Don't worry, I'll go look for her to make sure she doesn't hurt herself."

"_We're _going to look for her." Corrected Helena, giving the Assassin a sideways glare that made him smile. "Auntie, Uncle, can you help us out? Knowing Mordred, she'll either be by Salon de Marie, the training room-"

"Probably not given it's going to be a battlefield in a couple of hours." Sniped Ryoko. "We'll try to find her before the fight goes down."

"Alright. Oh, and welcome back, you two." The serious expressions of the girls faltered as they beamed at their blonde-haired aunt, then proceeded to tackle hug her as well. Not missing a beat, she returned their embrace. After a moment or two, they broke away from her and proceeded to give the same treatment to her husband, causing Jeanne to look on with a smile.

"It's great to see you two," Laughed Sieg as the girls pulled away. "By the way, Helena, were you able to work up the courage to talk to that boy, Genzo, before you left Japan?"

As if pulled by a magnet, the long-haired sister's ahoge stood up straight. Bright red colored Helena's face as her hands went to the sides of her head. "Uncle Sieg, not you too!"

"The answer to that question is no." Answered Ryoko and Akara in perfect unison, much to the sword-user's chagrin.

First, there was the hellraiser, and then there was her response when her love life was mentioned. Those were indicators that Helena was without a doubt the daughter of the Dragon Witch of Orleans.

* * *

_**6:40 PM…**_

"You can come out of hiding or I can force you to come out."

A series of groans and curses sounded from the doorway that obscured the sisters. Even with their magic cloaks, it'd done little in concealing their presence from the mysterious dark knight. At heart, they knew they wouldn't be of much good, but they weren't expecting for Dark Saber to call them out less than a minute after finding him. Sighing, the pair stepped out of the shadows onto the rooftop. Above the heads of the three danced the lights of the northern sky.

"Did you ever get to see something like this when you were alive?" Innocently questioned Helena as she once more took the initiative in approaching the dark warrior while her sister hung back. , he was meditating, having secluded himself atop this solitary rooftop on the north end of the compound away from the curious eyes of others. For the girls though, finding him had been somewhat easy as the bond between them, that of Masters and Servants had been established, but not solidified. Approaching him was also another matter entirely.

Dark Saber did not look to either of them, he kept his gaze on the icy horizon that stretched out before him. "I saw many things while I was alive, to tell them all would take too much time, and cause me to run late. What is it you two want? I have already-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know. You don't see us as being worthy of being called your Masters. We know that thanks to this." Cut off Ryoko. Normally, when a contract was established between a Master and Servant, the former was granted a set of Command Seals. Periodically, the seals represented an aspect of one of the two beings they bound. In the case of their father, it'd been a shield, not just symbolizing his bond with their Aunt Mash, but his role as humanity's defender and eventual savior. Holding up her right hand, Ryoko indicated to the red smudges that also marked her sister's left hand. "You know, I'm actually kind of impressed, you're really holding off on calling us your Masters."

A cold wind blew across the rooftop as the armored knight finally turned to face the sisters. Against the white backdrop and colorful sky, his dark armor stood out like a sore thumb. "Does my resistance _bother _you two, children of magecraft?"

"Nope." Laughed Ryoko, showing a complete mood change that threw the knight off somewhat.

"See, we're sort of rebels ourselves!" Helena exclaimed, throwing her hands behind her back as she walked over to confront Dark Saber. "Oh, and we prefer the term, 'children of witchcraft'. Our mom's a witch and one day we plan on following in her footsteps."

"The Dragon Witch of Orleans." noted the warrior.

"Yep, you know her? You certainly know our dad." Inquired the oldest.

Dark Saber was silent as he looked between the two. He was likely debating how much information he was to give away. What had become evident to the girls was the dark being certainly preferred his secrets being kept…secret. "I know of your father. He is positively spoken of on the Throne of Heroes, he…reminds me of a few people I used to know."

"Yeah, our dad tends to get that from time to time." Spoke Ryoko, joining the knight on his left side. She found it odd how the threatening aura he exerted earlier had seemingly cooled. While he hadn't accepted them as his partners, it seemed he was at least willing to tolerate her and her sister's presence. "What kind of people? Good or bad? Friends or enemies? Someone close to you?"

"You two ask too many questions." Growled Dark Saber.

"Can you blame us? We don't even know your True Name! Everyone wants to know who you are and where you come from, us especially!" Declared Helena. "We summon you, have everyone crapping themselves, roast Mordred alive to the point no one knows where she is, and then casually accept to fight _three _of the Round Table Knights in a duel! One of them being _Saber_ Lancelot!"

"I have faced tougher odds before, and proudly slashed my way to victory." Boldly stated the unnamed Servant, defiantly crossing his arms.

"Big talk, Mister Tall, Dark, and Wolfy." Giggled the oldest daughter. "We'll be watching to see you back it all up."

Dark Saber's gaze moved between the oldest and youngest girls, neither of whom flinched in the same way they had earlier during his summoning. It was somewhat…impressive. "Neither of you are afraid of me, not anymore."

Ryoko shrugged, mirroring the knight's crossed arms. "We may look like ordinary humans, well, except for our hair, but we're not. We've seen our fair share of weird shit."

"…And where exactly do I fall on your…listing?" He asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Somewhere in the top five." Answered Helena. "Look, whoever you are…we can tell that you're not…you probably weren't human when you were alive."

"You…are not entirely wrong. I waged war on humanity on the behest of my Master."

The invisible anvil fell, leaving the rooftop locked in a thick silence. Only the arctic wind made any sort of noise as it blew across the mountains and metallic towers and blocks that made up Chaldea's headquarters. Dark Saber's arms remained cross as he examined the expressions of the two girls who'd summoned him. He fully expected them to react with a mixture of shock, horror, and later even revulsion. In a way, it was sheer luck that he'd revealed such a critical piece of information up here, on a lone tower away from the hundreds of peering eyes within Chaldea's walls. An organization dedicated to preserving human history, and he'd just revealed some of his origins as one who attempted to bring such a history to a premature end.

"And now?"

Quickly, his eyes snapped to Helena. The oldest looked…a tad too calm for his liking. Curiosity colored her face, as did her sister's when Dark Saber looked back to her.

"Now, I draw my sword against whoever stands in my way, or the way of my superiors, such as is my duty as a knight." He finally answered.

Quietly, the girls exchanged a look, then they smiled.

"Alright then, thank you for being a bit honest with us, Dark Saber." Offered Ryoko. Her appreciation for his statement was genuine, something that threw the warrior off though he refused to show it. "Then if we ask you to use your sword to defend humanity?"

"…Then I will do so without hesitation." Came his clear-cut response. "_If _you, children of witchcraft, prove yourselves worthy of being called my Masters."

"We will." Added Helena, taking one brave step forward. With a wink, she pressed her right fist against Dark Saber's armored chest. "As for you, it's about time for your duel. All of Chaldea's going to be watching, including us. We'll be expecting you to back up all that boasting you did earlier, and show us the power you used to wage war on humanity. It better not disappoint!"

Just as they were the first to lay eyes upon him, the Fujimaru sisters were the first to witness the dark warrior laugh. As one would have expected, it was dark and arrogant sound, the laughter of one who'd slain thousands and would readily do so again if ordered to. To some, it was further indication that the knight was a being spawn from some dark abyss, an evil that threatened humanity. To the sisters though, it was the sound of a man they looked forward to working with.

"Indeed, it is time for battle." Said Dark Saber, turning on his heel and heading for the door. Closely following him were the Dragon Witch sisters, smiles forming on each of their faces. "Worry not, for I shall show you girls how a _Morlock _wages war, and have no fear, you will not be disappointed."

* * *

**I was hoping to sneak a bit of the actual fight into this chapter, but I decided that character interaction required more time and some buildup was needed. Ahem, it goes without saying that Koragg's certainly made one hell of a first impression, hasn't he? Well, next chapter's going to be his combat debut! This chapter was mostly dialogue so next one's going to be full-on action from start to finish. **

**Hopefully, Helena and Ryoko's casual acceptance of Koragg's hinted at past didn't come off as too strange. They DO know that their mother killed hundreds of people when she was "born" and attempted to burn France to cinders using dragons. As they repeated to Koragg, they're witches, and fully plan on living up up to some of the more ominous legends regarding them. At best they're shooting for anti-heroism and perhaps darker than average heroism, which in my opinion makes them something of a perfect fit for a character such as Koragg and a number of other yet-to-be-introduced characters. **

**Until next chapter, where it'll be knights in shining armor versus a knight of the underworld! **


	5. Chapter 4-Swords Crossed

**After the long wait, I can say with absolute certainty this is the chapter where the story starts to pick up. And by that, I mean it's the first real fight and will set the tone for future engagements for the rest of this little adventure. Now, without further ado, onto the bloodba-I mean onto the fight! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order **_

_**Chapter 4 - Swords Crossed**_

"_**Throw me to the wolves & I'll return leading the pack." **_

_**-Unknown**_

* * *

_**Chaldea Cryo-Storage, 6:50 PM…**_

"Out of curiosity, what do you think their opinions would be?"

There was a light chuckle that broke the rhythmic hum of the machinery around them. "First and foremost, Beryl would be congratulating you on summoning one hell of a…well, he'd called that Dark Saber fellow a Hellraiser and probably treat you and the girls to drinks, with or without your wife's permission."

It was Ritsuka's turn to laugh in amusement. "You know that Joan would probably get in on that too. In fact, I'm pretty sure depending on how things go, we're going to be having a toast tonight."

"True. Back to my answer, Ophelia and Wodime would probably give the girls an earful with Pepe being a tad more encouraging. Actually, I'm pretty sure he'd be rather excited at interacting with Dark Saber; this is a contrast to poor Kadoc who'd probably suffer something of a heart attack seeing him. Afterwards, there's a possible chance he'd go off to sulk somewhere that even the novices like your daughters could summon a high-level Servant."

"In their defense, my girls were mothered by an honest-to-God witch who used to be an Avenger." Ritsuka lightly jabbed.

"Who herself was born from distortion and a child-murdering lunatic's misguided wishes." There was a pause. "Speaking of which, how exactly are you going to explain to "Dark" Saber that your father-in-law is practically a murderous pedophile?"

At that, the black-haired architect let out an annoyed sigh. He'd grown up learning that some families had strange entanglements; he learned that lesson first hand when he married Joan and had to spend half the build-up to the wedding trying to prevent Caster Gilles from hijacking the wedding. While they'd accepted his wife for who she was, the fact that her "father" was such an infamous murder had taken some…time to seep in. Never mind the possibility of a said man being around their potential grandchildren. Just the first meeting between the "in-laws" had been a hell-raising evening, so much that Ritsuka checked his hair that night and found a lone gray hair. Rather than tease him, Joan practically examined the rest of his cranium for any more new additions.

"Alright, you've done five out of seven. What about Hinako and Daybit, what would their reactions have been?"

The round-bodied man shrugged, his eyes were distant and near dismissive. It wasn't like he was particularly close with the A-Team, but some of their personalities had left quite the impression, impressions that had not faded. The two previously mentioned were not among them. "Hinako would have called your daughters troublesome, just like their mother then gone back to reading. Daybit though…" Harry looked upward to the central chandelier that hung above the massive chamber like a giant lantern. The intention was should any of the occupants of the cryo-chambers ever awaken, the light would be the first thing they see. "Daybit would…actually, he would have had some interest in this Dark Saber fellow. It is obvious that he is not of our world."

"You really think so?" Ritsuka jested.

Harry caught onto his tone without missing a beat. "Are you willing to argue with me that somewhere in the annals of our history such a knight ever existed?"

Normally tranquil blue eyes were now sharp as razors, ready to cut at a moment's notice. "Not _human _history, but isn't that what Daybit specialized in? Things that are not of this world?"

"That he did, he'd likely be demanding that Dark Saber sit down so he can be examined once the fights were over." Noted the retired scout. Rather than the seven tomb-like pods before him, he kept his gaze focused on the adult male beside him, little over twenty years his junior. Ritsuka had grown quite a bit, both physically and mentally from the sixteen-year-old high schooler he'd originally scouted out. In the beginning, he seemed nervous and out of place in the white and black uniform that was standard for Chaldea at the time. He now stood before him in the new stylized blue, black, and gray jacket and undershirt that was only given to Chaldea's high-ranking members. Given that he was at one point the organization's sole Master and helped stave off the eradication of human order several times and lived to tell about it, Ritsuka had certainly earned his right. Had any of the original members of A-Team been with them, Harry was sure they all would have had at least something to say about either the strange being that had been summoned, the girls that had summoned him, or both.

Ritsuka's voice caught the Japanese-American off-guard. "You know, in a way, we have you to thank for this. The summoning I mean, feel like meeting Dark Saber yourself?"

The older man looked at him with a scandalized expression. "Are you of your mind?! I'm not going near that man until your daughters have tamed him!"

A Cheshire grin materialized across the younger male's face. "I'll be sure to tell Dark Saber you said that."

A deep frown fell upon the graying-haired man's face. With each passing day, the thought of retirement grew more and more appealing. It wasn't like there was anything stopping him. "You know, sometimes I miss that cute little rookie I scouted out and passed by on my way out the door. Still," A small grin formed on Harry's face as he straightened up. "If I hadn't found you when I did, none of us would be standing here. So I suppose _I'm _the one responsible for saving the whole of humanity and its collective history, eh?"

"The hell if you are, you fat turd! All you did was gang-press him into coming to this place, take your bonus and shiny new car then hit the road! Almost literally!" Barked a harsh yet familiar female. The engineer winced in visible annoyance as the architect chuckled in amusement. Harry looked to Ritsuka with a pointed glare, accusing him of having planned everything. He gave nothing away as he looked at all the other cryo tubs, anywhere but his direction. Groaning in dismay, Harry turned around to find his associate's wife marching toward him. As one would have suspected, Joan Fujimaru was dressed in very little, as in nothing but a fur-lined jacket, leggings, heels, and nothing else. Everywhere she went, a cloud of heat followed. "You two idiots done staring at the human popsicles or are you ready to get going? The fight's going to start any minute now and I don't want to miss one second of it!"

"Then you could have gone on without us." Ritsuka joked, causing his wife to roll her eyes in annoyance. Hard to believe that there was once a time he was too scared to do such a thing; now it had become commonplace. "We'll be right out. Are the girls still hanging around Dark Saber?"

"Yep, they're pretty much escorting him to the arena." Clarified the short-haired Frenchwoman. "Come on, we need to be there from start to finish."

It was hard not to notice the serious tone of her voice. Joan knew the gravity of the situation just as much as the rest of them; perhaps more so. Her golden eyes met those of her husband's, a silent exchange following between the pair. Harry watched the two with muted interest, his own thoughts held within his head. He was the first to begin to walk back with Joan shortly following after him. Ritsuka readied to go after them, but he looked back at the seven cryo tubs that lay before him. A name and designation were inscribed on each one. A-Team, the first choices, the ones who'd originally been chosen to save the world, yet had been robbed of that chance by fate.

"I promise I'll come back; I'll tell you guys what happened. Hopefully this place will still be standing. Something tells me this Dark Saber guy is pretty much going to turn this place upside down." A daring smirk suddenly marked his face. "Not that that would be a bad thing. This is _Chaldea_, excitement's probably the main drive of this place. It certainly is for my family." With those words echoing in the massive chamber, the Japanese male turned his back from the cryo tubs and followed after his wife and his associate.

Outside the cryo chamber, he was greeted to yet another familiar face.

"Ritsuka! Ritsuka, finally, I've spent the last half-hour searching for you! Honestly, I thought we were through this! It's grown rather taxing!"

"You mean more so than usual?" Quipped the Dragon Witch of Orleans, leaning against the side of the wall.

Over ten years of interactions had done Goldolf Musik well in learning to interact with the flame-wielding witch. And by that, Ritsuka meant learning how to take her wisecracks and not get too worked, most of the time anyway. Following a short grown, the graying-haired alchemist looked at him with sharp eyes. "Now isn't the time to be dwelling on the past! We are at a critical moment in the organization's history! History that your daughters are at the center of! You need to be punctual!"

"Fat chance of that, unless there's a deadline to be met or he's feeling horn-"

Ignoring his wife's annoyed grumbling, Ritsuka smiled at his superior. "Sorry, sorry, I guess I just…got a bit lost down memory lane. And got a bit sentimental. I'm assuming we've got a full house, Director Musik?"

"A full house doesn't even begin to describe." Stated the aging magus with a grim expression. It had taken some time, but gradually he'd come to accept his role as the organization's new head. All it had taken was the better part of six years and over a thousand tons of paperwork that even Ritsuka thought would make for good flammable material. "As we speak, Akara should be finishing setting up all of the online connections so our sponsors and affiliates will be able to see the battle." There was a pause as his blue eyes briefly swerved to his wife. "The same will be done when it is Helena and Ryoko's turn. I…I…honestly, what in God's name did your daughters summon?!" Finally cried the director, at least letting his composure slip. He hadn't been there when the summoning took place, instead, all he'd seen was the aftermath. Needless to say, it made him begin rethinking his career choices, in the back of his mind so to speak.

"We'll find out, now let's get going." Commanded Ritsuka, looking at the assembled group with hard eyes. "If anything goes wrong, we all know the procedure, right?"

"Hm, you know, I'm beginning to think you jumped up a few ranks since the last time I saw you." Chuckled Harry. "Righteyo, I'm going to go pick up some popcorn!"

The two round-bodied males departed first, quietly chatting amongst themselves. In regards to Goldolf, it was something of a welcome sight given the many heralds and setbacks that he'd had to overcome in helping Chaldea get back to its former stature. Granted, he was only one of many who'd lent a hand or two to help the organization.

Once the pair were out of sight, Joan slipped her hand into her husband's. She looked at him with soft reassurance in her eyes. "Hey, as bad as things are, they could have been _way _worse. Get that through your head; you handled things the best you could and everyone's still breathing. That's what counts in the end."

She knew his thoughts well, even without their shared mental link; learning to read his mind had just become a natural thing for her, just as much as he'd learnt to read hers. So too were comforting his worries, in fact, Joan always took a bit of silent joy in the fact that she could do it better than anyone else, even Mash. Looking back, those were the first signs that her feelings were growing into something more, something that was previously the antithesis to her very existence. Alongside him, she looked to the double-doors that led to the cryo chamber. Amongst its many occupants were A-Team, the ones originally selected for Rayshifting. None of them had managed to complete the summoning ritual, hell, none of them had ever gotten the chance to get started. Joan knew that Ritsuka feared a similar fate befalling their daughters.

Thankfully, such a thing had not come to pass.

That just left them a whole bucketload of unknowns they now had to deal with. In other words, more of the usual.

He gave her hand a soft squeeze then began to lightly pull her along, a look of resolution on his matured face.

* * *

_**7:03 PM…**_

"Are you _really _sure you want to do this? There's no shame in backing out, at least you'll be able to salvage a little dignity if you do."

To Ryoko's credit, she didn't immediately jump when the mysterious knight turned his attention to her. Since his unforeseen arrival and subsequent roasting of Mordred, he has become the most talked about topic in Chaldea. He handled it well by barely paying mind to anyone or anything he deemed uninteresting…which was about ninety-percent of the things in the security organization's base. While both Helena and Ryoko found a certain charm to his attitude, it had caused a few problems - like the one they were in now. One warrior going up against three, and not just any three, but three Knights of the Round Table, one of them being _Saber _Lancelot.

The stranger's swift and merciless rebuttal of Mordred's entire existence still echoed through the halls of Chaldea, and rightfully so. Almost everyone looked at the incident was still being hotly discussed with various sides being taken on the matter - some were glad the Knight of Treachery had finally been called out, others weren't, and a sizable number felt while the mysterious knight had spoken the truth he'd gone an edge too far.

Lancelot, Bedivere, and Tristan certainly thought so.

"You have asked me that question six times, and my answer has not nor will it ever change." Responded the knight in his usual monotone.

"Hey, we're just doing our best to look after you. You're our Servant after all." Helena interjected to save her sister before quickly adding. "Not yet officially."

Turning to face the eldest, the knight fixed her with a strong glare through his black visor. "Save your worries for the Round Table Knights, children of witchcraft. Watch my battle well for it may hold the key to actually turning your statement into a fact." Rising from the bench and walking towards the exit of the locker room with the girls following beside him, the mysterious knight looked at the two girls that had practically glued themselves to him since their last conversation. Honestly, it was a little irritating and intriguing. He couldn't exactly blame them for their curiosity, but what truly impressed him was how they seemed more concerned for him than anyone else. "I will show you two the power I wield, that I boasted of. As I said in our last talk, have no fear that it will be a disappointment."

"We'll be the judge of that, thank you very much." Declared the oldest of the sisters, crossing her arms. With a fiery sass she inherited from her mother, Helena walking up close to the dark-armored warrior until there were practically inches from each other. The height difference between Helena's five foot nine and the knight's staggering six and three feet mattered little, as did the malefic aura he carried with him. It clashed and swelled against the pale blonde's own fiery aura. "You talked some good shit when you roasted Mordred then challenged Lancelot, Tristan, and Bedivere to make you apologize to her. So you better be able to back it up!"

"I will do more than back it up." Replied the knight, looking at her.

"Just come back whole…" Sensing she wasn't finished, the stranger turned to the youngest, who also had her arms crossed her petite chest. "Um, we'll be rooting you? But, um, could you not…wreck those three too badly?"

Dark Saber stopped in his tracks and looked at the youngest of the Fujimaru sisters as both girls stopped as well. While she carried herself with the same aura of power and purpose as her sister, he couldn't help but notice at times that aura seemed to dampen just a bit. Particularly when she let a more…vulnerable side show. He tried not to think too much of it, especially since neither she nor her sister were his official Masters, _yet_.

"Tristan can be a prick and Lancelot can be a bit whiny, but they've always been good to us. Bedivere too." Ryoko jumped to clarify.

"He's too nice." Helena cut in.

"Yeah, but he's still one of the better ones of the bunch." Ryoko countered.

"Of course, you'd think that." Leered the oldest with a sly grin.

The knight watched in silence as a small showdown ensued between the sisters. What was going on between them he had no idea nor did he care. Grunting to get their attention, he began to make for the door with the two girls following closely behind him. Their unified footsteps echoed through the tunnel as none of the trio spoke a word until they came to an opening that sharply turned to the right. This was where they would divide.

"Um, Saber?" Helena began. Her mask of sass had been replaced by…worry. Though the knight was puzzled, he kept his confusion literally masked behind his straight face as he turned to her. "Just…be careful, alright? You just got here and we'd…kinda like to get to know you."

"What Helena means is don't feel like you have to show off to prove anything." Ryoko explained.

"Ryoko, that's what I said." Spoke the older sister, somewhat annoyed.

"You are both wrong, I do have something to prove." His voice cut through their slow-building spat quickly and quietly. Standing at full attention, he gave them a determined glare beyond his pitch-black visor. "As a knight and warrior, I must prove myself to you two, my potential Masters. If not, then what use am I as a Servant?"

Shaken by not just his words but his tone as well, the sisters stood where they were. The second tick by time as they looked between each other then back to the knight. Thin smiles tugged at their lips, hopeful smiles that made the knight's mind swirl in confusion.

Helena stepped up to him, bold and fearless as the moment he'd first been summoned. "Then go get 'em, Dark Saber." She laughed, placing a fist against his armored chest. "We'll be rooting for you. Right, Ryoko?"

"_Ci._" Echoed the younger sister with a light smile on her face. She was the first to turn her back from him and begin walking away, with her sister following the suit.

Rather than keep walking towards the end of the hallway, Dark Saber placed a hand over his chest, specifically where the older sister's fist had been. He could have sworn he still felt the presence of her hand there. It wasn't quite like a lingering wound, quite the opposite. There were no words in his vocabulary that he could use to describe the feeling; he decided to ignore it for now. Spinning on his heel, he once more began his walk down the hallway. With each step, he could feel the air growing heavier and heavier, an indicator of just what he was walking into. Some would have described it as pure lunacy to keep on going knowing what was waiting for him at the end, but for Dark Saber, what awaited him wasn't something to be shunned. Quite the opposite actually.

Coming upon the hallway's end, he was met with three venomous stares. The dark warrior welcomed them as he moved towards the arena, silently taking in the massive, near Colosseum-like structure that spanned out around him. He had to admit, Chaldea had built to high standards that were able to impress even him. A fifty feet circular arena with a stark-white floor engraved with a multitude of blue lines he had no doubt would come alight with energy once the arena was activated. There was little to no doubt in his mind that by the time this battle was over, the white high-tech flooring would resemble the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. If not, then he severely misjudged this world's incarnation of the Knights of the Round Table.

Staring directly across from him stood Lancelot dressed in his white and gold-accented armor. Though similar in height and demeanor, the two men couldn't have been further apart - the violet-haired man's righteous anger exuded from him like exhaust from a car engine. His harden eyes zeroed in on him in seconds upon his entering into the arena. Beside him stood Tristan, his eyes closed as always and his red hair freshly combed. Though appearing docile, he sensed a fury similar to his comrade's stirring behind his calm façade. In time he'd bring the true face of the Knight of Lamentation to the surface. Lastly was Bedivere, his face focused and direct as he did his best to glare down the dark knight. Dark Saber only paid him passing through his mind.

Arguably, what caught his attention the most was the newcomer. He'd heard that the man was called Goldolf Musik, Chaldea's newly christened director of operation. There wasn't much to be said about the man so he turned his head to the glass dome that surrounded them. As it was see-through, he could peer beyond it to catch a glimpse at the hundreds of spectators beyond it. Practically every worker had decided to take their break to watch his battle; equally so, almost all the Servants in the base had decided to come down as well. Though he cared nothing for their opinions or feelings about him, he knew this was a prime opportunity to get his introduction well and truly out of the way. They wanted to know what kind of person he was, he'd show them and leave them to their thoughts. The group that truly caught his eye was the family of four, the Fujimaru Family.

They sat tightly assembled, the two girls catching his glance and shooting him cheesy grins. Helena shot him some odd sign using her middle and index finger, making it look like a V. Dark Saber didn't even try to decipher what it meant.

Their parents were polar opposites. Ritsuka Fujimaru wasn't exactly smiling at him, but he didn't sense any hostility, only curiosity from his tight frown. According to what he'd heard and read, the man had toed the line between life and death so many times during his youth, he'd become a "living embodiment of stone". The man's turquoise eyes somehow found his. Dark Saber knew in that brief instant thought, this man possessed no superhuman power, that could make him a threat he possessed a will of unbreakable steel and a mind as sharp as they came. Those made up for the lack of power-no, those things were power, arguably the most dangerous kind.

Next was his wife Jeanne Alter, or as she was known nowadays - Joan D. Fujimaru. Unlike her husband, she was dressed in her "informal wear", a modified version of her favored dark-furred coat and a dress. Food crumbs littered her face and indifference echoed in her eyes. When he spoke to the two younger girls, their mother was who he was speaking of. The Dragon Witch of Orleans not only had the power to be wary of, but a spirit and attitude to match. Quite honestly, it was something of a shocker such a woman would ever settle down with a man as calm and even-tempered as Ritsuka Fujimaru. Of course, Dark Saber simply shrugged his shoulders inwardly at that statement. Human affections and feelings were a mystery to him, one he was still trying to solve. Like their daughters, she caught his gaze, and then she gave him a glowing, sharp glare in return that told him one thing - back up everything he said he would do. He was reminded that his summoning had interrupted her so-called duel with Artoria Alter, something she was still obviously upset about. If he didn't make the interruption worth it, she was going to make him pay for it.

Beside the family were the draconic Servant and the Maiden of Orleans he'd seen earlier. Remembering their earlier dialogue, Dark Saber concluded that they were part of the Fujimaru Family as well so they took a seat beside the core four. Besides them, he noticed two more odd additions to the family, the pair of teenagers that had been beside the inventor. The female was grinning at him in the same way as Helena, making him believe a similarity existed between the two. In contrast, the male with bandages across his body merely waved at him.

There were some in the crowd he recognized while others were entirely new faces. Again, he paid most of them little mind. The face he searched for was found almost four rows above the Fujimaru Family; the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon herself with an impassive face. Though surrounded by a crowd of commoners and strangers, she still looked as regal and imposing as she did those centuries ago when she sat upon her throne. Naturally, the Knight of the Sun, Gawain, sat at her side.

Which was rather interesting, it was his "brother" who'd he'd insulted. Yet, he was in the stands alongside his king looking as composed as one could be; quite off the mark for someone who's family was just verbally and perhaps emotionally humiliated in such an unclothe way. The warrior filed that oddity away in the back of his mind, he had other things to focus on.

"Knight? Knight! Having second thoughts?" He turned to Bedivere whose features were hard stern.

"No, nothing of the sort. Only pondering if you three will live up to your legends." Immediately fired back Dark Saber without missing a beat.

To the credit of the three knights, they remained composed, mostly. Standing at the half-way point, Goldolf sized up the two sides, a visible blanket of sweat rolling down his forehead. He knew for a fact he was standing between two nuclear bombs about to go off. Every fiber of his body was screaming for him to hightail it as fast as possible, but he had to remain there for a few moments longer.

"Gentlemen, I won't waste any more time than needed on laying out the rules of this engagement. You are all knights so we shall all be expecting you to conduct yourselves as such." Surprisingly, his voice was light on fear. "This will _not _be a battle to the death, or at least I hope it will not. Aside from that, anything goes as far as actual combat. Following the surrender of one side, the match will be over. Is that understood?" The four Servants nodded in silent understanding. "Good, anything else you gentlemen would like to get off your chests?"

The wolf-themed knight completely focused on the three knights before him. Each of them, even supposedly serene Tristan, were chopping at the bit to take a piece of him. "I'm assuming the…agreements of this battle still stand?"

"Of course, they do." Snapped Lancelot. "If we win then you must-"

"Apologize to the traitor." Cut off the dark-armored warrior with a grave voice. "Yes, I have not forgotten. However, that will not come to pass until the pretender earns the right to have an apology herself, not have it delivered to her at the hands of you three.

Anger flashed in the faces of the Round Table Knights, though they kept their feelings bottled up. They could voice their outrage with their swords, or in Tristan's case, his bow.

Sensing that the time had come, Goldolf stepped back, shouting to Da Vinci and the other technicians. With visible anxiety, and even excitement, tingling around him, he left the arena leaving the four knights to their duel. At the center of the stadium, a blue and silver sphere began to hum and glow with a near ethereal light. Even as the surrounding area became bathed in glorious luminous did the deadlock glare between the two sides break. Beyond that point words were meaningless. As knights, their actions would speak for them.

In seconds, the stark white techno-dome they were in was gone, and in its place was a castle courtyard of equal or even greater size. To Dark Saber's back stood a castle wall and gate adorned with a cross sword and shield logo. Beyond it likely lay a forest and beyond it an invisible wall, marking the boundaries of the simulation. At the back of the three knights rose a series of towers and keeps. The flag that flew above the towers was stark-white with a stylized C - the emblem of Chaldea Security Organization.

_**BING! **_

Surprisingly, the ground beneath their feet remained unfazed as the four knights each vanished in bursts of wind. It was at the center of the courtyard where they clashed did the spider-web cracks form; hundreds of them snaking out in every direction as the three shining knights pushed up against the dark knight. Alone, the latter held back the three, with minimal effort it appeared.

The deadlock broke as both sides fell backwards. Each of their boots groaned against the ground they stood upon. Dark Saber reached for his sword and in a second cut an arc across the air in front of him, echoing through the arena was the sound of glass shattering.

_Impossible! _Thought Bedivere, materializing an arming sword with his right hand.

_He actually saw Tristan's arrows, felt them, and cut them! _Summarized Lancelot, casting a sideways glance at his redheaded companion. He too was just as surprised as they were, though he hid it well.

Their time of contemplation came to a quick and sudden end as the three sensed the build-up of energy from their opponent. Each blinked once then found the purple-armored knight crouching in front of them, his sword pulled back and the air had grown absolutely stale and brittle. When he sprung forward, each raised their weapon as the circular wave of black and purple fanned out from the sword, slamming into them with all the force of a storm. The knights gnashed their teeth in both pain and silent horror as their magically-composed bodies began to howl in pain while being pushed backwards.

_This magical power...it may even exceed Morgan's! _Realized Lancelot as he summoned all his strength to lift his sword upward to dispel the wave of dark power. It did the trick, but by the time he did so, he'd already lost sight of his opponent. Glancing to the right, he found him, seconds away from bringing his sword down upon Tristan's neck.

The Knight of Lamentation waltzed out of the way of the attack, then the next, and the third. Each one left the hairs on his neck standing on end and his heart thundering in his chest. This wasn't like him at all. "You think because I am an Archer, I am ill-suited for close quarters combat?" His fingers moved to the silvery-white strings of his weapon, then stopped once he felt the surge of danger. Acting quickly, he raised Failnaught just in time to prevent a downward swipe that would have bisected him at the shoulder down.

"Your Failnaught fires not steel arrows, but arrows of air and sound." He applied more force into his arm, forcing the redheaded knight to take a single step backward. "You merely require sleight of hand to fire multiple arrows; your elimination first is only to be expected."

"A pity the one who shall fall will be you."

After the purple-armored knight made his ominous note, it came as another shock when Dark Saber's sword became ablaze with swirling black energy. Tristan's face morphed into distress as the jet engine-like flare blinded his eyes and senses. He fell away, leaving the dark knight free to swing the weapon in a glorious sweeping arc that allowed it to meet the physical blade of Lancelot and the ethereal sword of Bedivere. Both warriors were forced to step back as the force of the attack was more than they'd been expecting, and could handle. Dark Saber pounced on Bedivere, his swings coming in hot and fast forcing the one-armed warrior onto the defensive. His personally-forged sword had lost its supernatural flare, now there was only pure power backing every move, and it was proving too much for Bedivere. Seeing that, Lancelot decided to move in believing he'd have surprise on his.

The second Dark Saber's sword and Bedivere's met, there was an explosion of dark magic. Bedivere flew backwards across then stone ground, his armored right arm flashing with white and red lights. No sooner did Dark Saber spin on his heel meeting Lancelot in a clash of steel. Both warriors locked gazes behind their weapons, silently acknowledging that the battle was not going to be quite as easy as either had thought. Simultaneously, they acted - breaking away just in time for Tristan to unleash his waiting attack. Lancelot flew out of range while Dark Saber merely moved with superhuman speed, raising his silver-lined shield just in time.

Tristan released the bowstring, sending forth a flurry of nearly invisible arrows hurdling directly towards Dark Saber. Each one was sharp enough they could cut through several men before stopping. Against Servants, only a handful could survive multiple shots and still find the strength to stand. Even fewer could block them and attempt to live.

Dark Saber firmly cemented himself in both categories.

When the shield opened revealing the crimson eye within, a sudden and dramatic wind blew through not just the virtual chamber, but perhaps the entire facility. Up in the stands, nearly all audience members from the hardened veterans to the newest rookies bristled in silent and visible discomfort. Despite some not being able to see it, they felt **it** \- the malice, the evil, the _darkness _that was released as Dark Saber summoned forth a purple-tinted barrier that deflected each and every arrow. Tristan had little time to process the shock as the barrier quickly condensed into a mass of dark magical energy - it took a shape that he dreaded. With a fierce howl, the energy wolf lunged at the archer, its fangs sharpen and ready to tear into him.

Not missing a beat, Dark Saber turned and sped towards Bedivere, whose mouth hung in open shock at what he'd just seen. He recovered and raised his spiritual sword up just in time to counter Dark Saber's oncoming attack. Bedivere's sword shattered, causing him to gnash his teeth as he realized what was coming next.

Silver and purple sparks erupted from the two Sabers repeatedly clashing - Dark Saber with his sword…and Bedivere with his silver arm, now roaring with magical energy. The thunderstorm of silver steel against dark metal shook the castle courtyard, and the castle itself. Beneath the pale-haired knight's feet, the ground continuously shook and splintered, his brow grew increasingly heavy with sweat while pain slowly but surely began to snake its way from his right arm through the rest of his body.

_**CLANG! **_

To the horror of Bedivere and those with sharp enough eyes, pieces of the Airgetlám flew from outward, their former holy luster having gone dark. Pain shot through the green-eyed knight's body as he felt the seeds of evil begin to take root in his arm. Soon, that pain was joined by the feel of a boot slamming hard into his gut and sending him skidding across the ground.

No sooner had he kicked Bedivere away did Dark Saber himself vanish in a burst of air. The ground he stood upon was cut and slashed apart as Tristan's arrows failed to hit their mark, again.

"Who is this man?" Tristan mumbled, feeling a small bit of anger at having his abilities as an archer challenged by this stranger. Few besides his king could hope to fair this well against him, let alone alongside Bedivere and Lancelot working together.

"Tristan, above you!" Shouted Lancelot.

Refusing to hesitate, the Knight of Lamentation pulled on his weapon's strings several times, unleashing a volley of sound arrows that soared through the open sky towards a free-falling target. Crimson light flashed from the shield, then came the pack of dark magic wolves. Howling like living creatures, they raced through the air, meeting the sound arrows mid-flight and exploding in bursts of dark fire and blue particles. So numerous and powerful, the curtain of explosions lit up the castle skyline obscuring the clouds, and Dark Saber, from view.

Sliding his foot back, Tristan angled his bow at a building mass of dark energy. He waited for a second, then two, and his foe presented himself.

Dark Saber shot forward from the smoke, propelled by the dark magical energy exploding from his sword now held in a reverse position. Tristan fired a single arrow, visible enough to be seen: six-feet across and shimmering with blue mystical energy. His opponent's aura remained impassive as the arrow sped towards him, his body did not.

_**BOOM! **_

Teeth and bone rattled as the dark-forged sword easily deflected-no, dispelled the incoming projectile releasing violet and black-tinted flames across the air. Lancelot and Bedivere stared wide-eyed at the embers while Tristan silently cursed. He jumped backwards as Dark Saber crashed into the ground, literally kicking up dust and smoke in his wake. Like before, a dark flash preceded his attack. This time, four large energy slashes, four times as tall as Tristan, sped towards him. His hands went to his bow strings and rapidly pulled on the strings, sending out several sound-air arrows he hoped would stop the attacks.

Lancelot dashed towards Dark Saber, his sword held low and at the ready. His unknown sword met the Knight of the Lake's in a collision that broke the ground around them apart. Arcs of lightning jumped between the two swords as their owners once more glared into each other's eyes.

"You're good." Lancelot solemnly noted.

"And you live up to your legend." He responded. As if Lancelot misheard something, he could have sworn he heard Dark Saber's voice was not entirely monotone as there was a faint hint of admiration in it.

Unlike Bedivere, Lancelot was able to withstand the burst of dark energy that envelope Dark Saber's sword. Bracing himself, the dark-haired knight put all his strength in attempting to overpower his foe, and it was proving to be a losing battle. Clearly, Dark Saber was struggling as well, but he was doing so with only ONE hand while the other held tightly onto his shield. Behind him arose a figure, a red-eyed wolf whose glare could freeze fire and whose fangs could rend even the enchanted armor of knights and heroes. Lancelot did his best not to look at the figure, knowing if he did fear would momentarily take hold of him, and if it did he'd lose the battle.

Briefly, a light flashed in the darkness. The silver-armored knight saw it as if it were a bolt of lightning striking through a darkening sky. It was golden and radiant - star-like even. _Wait, that light, that shine-it can't be! _

Dark violet and black were replaced by golden yellow, so bright it momentarily blinded Lancelot. In the split second that followed, Dark Saber fended off Arondight and shoved his shield in front of Lancelot's body. "Wolf Attack!"

Bedivere, who'd finally clamped down the pain in his straight arm, and Tristan, who threw away his now burning crape, called Lancelot's name in alarm as he was hit full force with the dark magical attack. His cry of pain echoed through the chamber and into the stands where a certain pair of king and her knight went wide-eyed. Engulfed in a ball of dark flames, the Knight of the Lake was launched far back into the castle walls where he crashed through it, sending up a cloud of dust and smoke.

Incited and enraged, Bedivere called forth every ounce of power he could muster, turning his prosthetic arm light blue. Breaking the ground through sheer force, he dashed towards Dark Saber. His Airgetlám had morphed into a shimmering blade of pure energy, ready to slice the dark knight in two.

"Uthe Sastos." Murmured knight.

And in a flash of purple light, he was gone.

"WHAT?!" Shouted Tristan, now no longer able to hold back his shock.

Bedivere's slash tore apart the ground, resulting in a projected slash going wide and tearing the second hole in the castle wall. Frantic, he looked around for his adversary knowing he was still nearby. He was proven right when he felt a sudden cold chill hit his left side, causing him to raise his arm in defense.

_**CLING! **_

The Shining Airgetlám had been marked-scratched, _penetrated _by the darkness-aligned sword held by the being known as Dark Saber. Blood trickled from Bedivere's lips while he glared at him, who uttered that same phrase before disappearing again.

Grasping the multiple strings of Failnaught, Tristan pulls them all back at once. Appearing around him in a near perfect circle appeared dozens of thin blue lines that shimmered for a split second then shattered. Hundreds of blades sliced apart the space around him, cutting anything that might have passed through the affected field into pieces, even the stone ground wasn't safe as it became little more than a patchwork of cuts and craters.

"Jumpy, aren't you?"

Opening his eyes revealing their supernatural color, Tristan aimed and shot upwards sending a blue mass of energy into the sky.

What appeared was a snarling wolf head the size of a car. Catching the arrow in its mouth then tearing it apart, the spectral entity continued until it finally crashed into the ground, tearing and burning away the stone and earth beneath it.

Falling into a crouch, the redheaded knight took aim at the magical construct, his eyes slightly opened and his mouth a thin frown. He pulled the bowstring, releasing countless sonic arrows that homed in on the target.

"Uthe Mejor!"

Of all the things Tristan had been expecting, a _**giant armored fist **_was not one of them. Golden eyes turned wide with shock and fear, Tristan could faintly hear Bedivere and even Lancelot's voice before the fist made an impact. After that, everything went black.

"TRISTAN!" Shouted Bedivere, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. The Knight of Lamentation rocketed through the castle doors, halls, and walls as if he'd been shot out of a cannonball. His prosthetic arm burst into a blazing white blade he raised with the intent of cutting down his friend's assailant where the stood.

The smoke fell away, revealing a sight that would stick in the mind of all the spectators: Dark Saber stood where he was, still normal-sized, but his arm was not. A dark magical circle, barring a similar design as the one preceding his summoning, had manifested around his right arm at the elbow. From that part onwards, his arm had grown to truly giant-size, enough that it could squeeze the life out of Bedivere and maybe Lancelot. Catching sight of him, Dark Saber swung himself and his massive arm forward, pointing Bedivere in the direct line of fire. A purple light appeared in the palm of an enlarged limb. Dark energy shot forward not a second later, superheating the ground it traveled over.

Knowing it would take all his power, Bedivere stomped his foot in the ground and spun, leaving a trail of light in his wake. The empowered prosthetic slammed hard against the dark blast, breaking and melting away the ground on which Bedivere stood. Even though the blaze of energy he'd summon, he saw the edges of his cherished arm growing dark and dim as the malevolent energy began to chip and eat away at him. Taking hold of his Airgetlám with his human arm, he roared in human effort and forced the limb to cut through the dark energy, it worked.

The triumph was short-lived.

Dark Saber's sword fell, shooting forth a wave of pulsating dark energy that raced towards the stunned Bedivere at lightning-speed. Bracing himself, the one-armed knight reared back his arm, preparing for another struggle of power that would no doubt leave him feeling extremely numb.

"Bedivere!" His form appeared out of nowhere. Holding up his sword, Lancelot grunted in effort as he weathered the beam of energy that would have had Bedivere buckling, though not without harm. As he watched, Bedivere noticed the dozen or so cracks and tears that appeared in his armor. With a swipe of his sword, he dispersed the attack. Blood trickled from his forehead down to his chin. "As much as I hate to say it, it appears we've underestimated this man."

"What is he? Some sort of giant like Kay? Or is he a sorcerer?"

"I do not know, and I fear it matters not for he put _us _on the defensive." Admitted the Knight of Lake. "We must proceed with caution from here on out. If we're not careful, I fear the consequences could be fatal."

"An accurate assumption." Called the Dark Saber. "Underestimate me at your own peril, known that warriors as great as you have, and I have made them pay _dearly _for it."

"…Noted." Bedivere admitted somewhat begrudgingly.

Holding out his shield arm, the crimson eye embedded within the shield opened, casting a crimson-tinted barrier around him. Failnaught's arrows bounced off it with as much ease as toothpicks. Silently, the dark knight dashed for the castle entrance, keeping his shield raised and his killing intent focused on one person. Behind him trailed Lancelot and Bedivere, shouting at him not to turn his back from his opponents. While he knew the truth of their words, he also knew sometimes one needed to be smart from time to time if he expected to win. This was one of those times.

He found Tristan by reaching out with his mind's eye. There was only one thing left to do.

"Mejor Catastros!"

"_**WHAT THE HELL!?" **_Echoed the entire arena, the current fighters included.

Appearing from a maelstrom of dark energy came to the dark steed, looking as grim and awe-inspiring as possible. In one leap, he was on the saddle riding his dark mount into the castle entrance. Gripping the reins, he yelled out a command and the two rocketed forward; becoming not two living beings but a singular mass of dark energy that crashed through the double-sided doors like a meteor slamming into the earth.

Deep within the chamber in which he'd sheltered himself, Tristan felt the sudden surge of dark magic. It caused his blood, which had stained his cheeks, chin, and hands, to run ice cold. "Damn."

Outside, Lancelot and Bedivere could only watch in horror as purple-tinted shockwaves erupted from the confines of the castle, blowing through the stone rooftops and even causing distorted ripples in the sky. Cutting through the explosion of stone and metal was Tristan, his scream of pain temporarily stopping their hearts before igniting a fire under their feet. No sooner had they gotten to the gate did the entire castle shake. The rooftop exploded outward as the violet and black-colored comet rose into the air, carrying with it the Knight of Lamentation as if he were prey of a bird as the knight was in its unfortunate catch.

The bullet continued to soar and eventually threw Tristan to the side. His armor had been broken in several places, allowing trails of blood to seep outwards. Catching himself, he righted himself and took aim with his bow.

Quietly, the jet-black horse was dismissed, its owner silent thanking it for its continued service while Dark Saber turned to face his opponent. Azure winds coiled around the Archer's bow, taking the shape of a solidified arrow that if it hit him would leave even the wolf-themed knight himself lying on the ground in pain. Placing both hands against his shield, he channeled his dark magic into the weapon, causing the unholy eye that was its power source to react in the most horrid way. Crimson and purple conjured together at the center, encasing the Morlock in an aura of crackling dark magic. The space behind him dimmed and warped, briefly showing the holographic panels that were generating the azure sky. Even that too began to turn a few shades darker as the World began to familiarize itself with the power of Dark Magic.

Tristan had to admit, while he still couldn't forgive the man for what he'd said to Mordred, he'd shown himself to be a powerful warrior. One who dare he say it could even prove a match for the King of Knights. "Failnaught!"

The bowstrings were released and forward shot the blue and white-colored arrow, pure sonic energy condensed into a form for the purpose of simple destruction.

Shaped by Dark Saber's will, the dark magical energy molded itself into a wolf's head, this one just as large and powerful as the one before it. Locking eyes on the arrow, it surged forward to meet the attack.

Jaw-wide open, the wolf head caught the arrow, releasing whipping tendrils of wind and energy that tore away at the castle and surrounding area. Lightning crackled across the artificial sky and even ceiling of the stands, alerting several to the power of the attacks. Tristan watched and waited as his single arrow pushed and pushed, yet could not advance or even dent the magical construct attempting to devour him. Slowly, the truth dawned on him.

"I see, how sad." He muttered.

_**CRAAACK! **_

Vanishing into the jaws of the magical beast, Tristan's last line of defense fell, and with the wolf head surged to Tristan like an inevitable meteor.

The Knight of Lamentation was completely consumed by the wolf head which continued to descended downwards. Lancelot and Bedivere could do no more than scream in horror and rage as their ally vanished beneath the rooftop tiles, which promptly erupted seconds later sending them and chunks of the castle itself backwards in a violent explosion of power and magic. They skidded across the ground, which itself ruptured as if a volcanic eruption were taking place. Coming to their feet, they saw the black-tinted cloud of smoke and magical particles where their comrade had fallen. Just as they opened their mouths to speak, they shut them sensing the coming danger.

Danger shot out of the smoke, carrying a ten-foot blade composed of dark magic with him. Raising their swords, the Knights barely managed to back the attack. With the first attack a failure, Dark Saber twirled his weapon then brought it back down for a second. Instead of attempting to deflect it, the pair rolled to their respective sides. Separated by thirty feet and a shower of debris, Lancelot and Bedivere met each other's eyes and agreed on a plan of attack. Each kicked off from the ground, upturning it as they practically teleported to Dark Saber's right and left side respectively. There was no fear or hesitation as the knight with wolf pauldrons slammed his blade into the ground, summoning his personal magic circle. The knights were too far along to stop their attacks even as they saw the literal tornado of dark energy spiral upward from the circle and surrounding Dark Saber. Gritting their teeth, they threw their weapons to struck the tornado with their respective blades, hoping in time they could overpower the twister.

Their assumption proved wrong as sparks flew from the collisions, testing the two knights. It felt like the more they struggled against the dark twister, the more pressure they were put under.

A sudden chill ran up the spines of the knights, seconds before their eyes glimpsed the silver flash at the heart of the twister.

_**SWOOSH! **_

In one swift slash, the dark twister was dispelled, by its own creator. Dark Saber took aim at Bedivere with the tip of his sword. Like a dam blown open, dark magic burst forth from his sword aimed straight at the king's caretaker.

* * *

_**In the Stands...**_

"M-M-M-My king," Gawain's voice was uneven, and for good reason. "T-This man, t-t-the power he wields, i-it…dare I say it…it resembles Morgan le Fay's. Nay, I'd go as far as to say it…it…"

Artoria finished her knight's statement for him, though barely showing no expressions, she sourly wished she hadn't. "This level of power is _beyond_ what Morgan ever leveled against us, at least from what I can recall." What she didn't add was the martial prowess Dark Saber was exhibiting. Any doubts she'd had for this _man_ were officially gone. Artoria knew one thing beyond the shadow of a doubt - whatever Helena and Ryoko had summoned, _it knew how to __**fight**_**.**

She was glad that Gawain was focused on the plain, her pride wouldn't have been handle having him see her sweating. Not to mention it wouldn't have done his own mental health any favors. Tristan was without a doubt one of the most tactile and cunning of her knights, and he'd just been defeated through a combination of observation and **brutal **overpowering.

Most of all, what truly caught her attention, and terrified her, was the sword that the warrior was wielding. Artoria's whole body pulsated in tandem with almost every swing of the weapon.

She knew what **it** was.

She tried to deny it.

She glanced upward to her far right. While she and her Alter-self held a number of differences, they seemed to share a type of "twin-telepathy" as Ritsuka had once called it. One could feel the other's emotions. What was happening was one of the rare times when they felt the same emotions - fear and awe.

Hidden from the view of most, Artoria Alter watched the battle with widening eyes and a shut mouth. _Who…is this man? Why…why…why…WHY?! WHY DOES WATCHING HIM FIGHT MAKE MY HEART RACE?! WHY?! WHY DOES MY SWORD HAND TWITCH?! WHY DOES IT HOWL FOR ME TO JUMP IN NOW AND SETTLE SOME UNKNOWN SCORE?! __**WHY?!**__"_

* * *

It went without saying that despite possessing no "special abilities" of his own, Bedivere was one of the most respected and valiant of the Knights of the Round Table. So, seeing him in pain, slowly but surely being crushed under the foot of agony was quite a sight for many. A sad sight.

Bedivere was just barely holding off the dark energy beam that continued shooting outward, slamming into the invisible wall of the simulation room. Beyond the caretaker's back, the scenery distorted and cracked as a testament to the unimaginable power he was just barely holding off. His usual calm and passive face was twisted in a grimace of deep pain and concentration as he struggled to remain on his feet.

Though he despised sneak attacks, Lancelot knew he had to act, and act he did. Raising Arondight, he lunged forward, fully intent on cutting down the mysterious knight. Sadly, he had other ideas. Immediately, the beam ceased thus allowing Dark Saber to spin himself around and perfectly parry the Knight of the Lake's oncoming blow. They furiously went at each other knowing even one mistake would spell doom for them thus put their heart into their swords.

Back on his side, the one-armed knight fell to his knees, cradling his now cracked and burnt prosthetic arm. _What? What in GOD'S name is this man?! To possess a sword that dark yet so overwhelmingly powerful, it's almost like…like…_ Refocusing on the battle between Lancelot and the dark knight, Bedivere took in the details of the weapon - it was a two-handed weapon he masterfully swung with one hand showing not just great strength, but excellent dexterity as well. Though the main blade itself was an enchanting purple, the outer portion of it was silver - a very familiar silver. Standing upward, his mouth hung open as his eyes bulged when he caught sight of the fairy lettering or fairy letter-_like _inscription on the blade's base. Speaking of the blade, its shape looked awfully familiar. "By God Almighty, it can't be!?"

The faces of the knights briefly reflected in the other's blades as they once more deadlocked each other. Upon breaking away, they readied themselves for another engagement when a voice violently grabbed their attention.

"KNIGHT!"

With almost chillingly coolness, the dark knight turned to find the now furious-faced Sir Bedivere glaring at him. Loose strands of pale blond hair hung in-between the normally gentle and kind knight's face. His Airgetlám was now ablaze with sky-blue mystical light that caused the artificial limb to hum as if it were an engine. "That sword you wield, where did it come from?!"

"…"

"ANSWER ME!"

Planting his weapon into the ground so the caretaker could get a good look at it, Dark Saber stood up tall and proud. "This sword is one of my own creations - a fusion of two weapons: one my former personal sword…and the other a blade was given to me by a defeated foe who found me worthy enough to pass it onto." He answered in a calm and neutral voice.

Even if he hadn't directly said it, Dark Saber knew Bedivere could put the pieces together. It did nothing to stem his growing fury. The rage and anger boiling in the king's caretaker's veins, Dark Saber could actually sympathize with it, all of it.

For a moment, tears glistened in Bedivere's eyes before they slammed shut. Lancelot, having clearly seen the distress of his friend, frantically called out to him as the light surrounding the Airgetlám grew brighter by the second. Not surprisingly, his calls fell on deaf ears as Bedivere took a fighting stance. Wide-eyed, the Knight of the Lake moved aside as his comrade fixed the Morlock with a look of pure, murderous hatred.

"DEAD END-AIRGETLÁM!"

Shattering the ground and blazing through the air came the king's caretaker, a stream of tears falling from his eyes. His right arm was little more of a razor-blade of condensed light, screaming for Dark Saber's blood.

Holding out his right hand which had become aglow with a dark light, the Morlock traced a circle in the air. "Reflectus Targo!" His personal magic circle materialized in front of him then enlarged itself until it completely obscured the dark knight from view. While the other rim remained the same, the centerpiece changed - it went from translucent colored-lines to a solid. A reflective solid.

In the massive mirror, Bedivere saw himself - a tear-stricken man weighed down by sorrow and hatred. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted how shameful he looked. In another part, the knight yelled in horror as he barreled headlong into a trap.

The empowered Airgetlám struck its reflection in the mirror, causing a burst of lightning bolts came forth. Bedivere had a split second to see his own panicked expression as the pieces all fell together before him. Then the laws of _magic _physics took hold.

* * *

_**In the Stands...**_

"And so it seems even Bedivere falls as well." Spoke Chiron with a look of deep sorrow on his face. He and the one-armed knight had become good friends during their time in Chaldea. It hurt him seeing Bedivere in such a state, but he could understand the knight's fury.

"Such magical power, and combat ability!" Cried Atalanta, now standing upright with eyes wide and a gaping mouth. As Medea beside her looked so grim and cautioned since this new warrior's arrival, the huntress's doubts for why her friend was so scared of the dark knight completely vanished as she can now see it. Her feline ears lowered atop of her head and her lioness tail twitching, her bow hand shaking almost uncontrollably as she felt ALL of her instincts, from her training as a huntress and part of her animal nature, screaming at her to turn tail and run **now**. "O-O-Only Lady Athena is capable of such feats! This unheard of!"

"Until now!" Fired back Achilles, his face a mixture of shock and near-psychotic glee. "A warrior and a sorcerer, we didn't have many of those back in the day! It's awe-!"

_**BOOM!**_

* * *

First, there was a massive burst of air. Spider-web cracks formed along the Airgetlám with several pieces of it breaking off and some outright being burned by the sheer magical energy. Bedivere's entire body flew backwards as if he'd been launched from a catapult; his bruised and battered body skid across the broken ground until an overturned lump of rock stopped him. Groaning in incomprehensible pain, the one-armed knight fell, his silver arm now broken and cracked like a dented piece of metal. The once divine glow the weapon held faded.

Quietly, Dark Saber turned to face the last of the trio. Lancelot's face had gone completely dark with seriousness. Instead of rushing in to avenge his fallen comrades, the silver-armored knight glared long and hard at his foe. It was as if he were seeing him for the first time.

"You…wanted me to be last?"

"I will not deny it, you are the most skilled warrior of the Round Table, a part of me couldn't help but be selfish in wanting a duel against you." Answered the Morlock.

Taking hold of his sword, he pointed the tip at him. "Warrior, if you truly possess a knight's pride, then I ask you, as one knight to another, state your name!"

Mirroring the purple-haired man, the dark swordsman answered, "**Koragg, the Knight Wolf**. I hail from a realm far beyond yours, the **Underworld**."

Lancelot's expression broke hearing the revelation. It quickly reformed as the Knight of the Lake looked at the dark knight whose True Name is Koragg with true disdain in his eyes. Before he saw him as nothing but an arrogant warrior boasting of his abilities, but now things were different. _**Much **_different. "Ah…I…understand now."

"Will you blame the girls for this? For me?" Questioned the dark swordsman.

"I have known Helena and Ryoko since they were infants, I'd sooner bite my tongue than slander their name. More so, I'd sooner surrender my sword and shield than slander the name of their father, a man I hold in the same respect as my king."

"…Then you truly are worthy of your title, Lancelot du Lac."

Despite the instinctive repulsion he felt towards the being before him, Lancelot couldn't help but note the admiration and respect in the dark warrior's voice. Though a being of the abyss he may have been, this creature understood honor. At the very least he could respect that.

Dismissing his shield, Koragg gripped his sword with both hands - as it was always meant to be. "Since you do not possess your Shield of Aceso, I will not use my Wolf Shield. A pity, for with it this would have been quite a battle."

At this, Lancelot couldn't help but laugh in agreement. "True, but fear not, _demon_, I will prove more than a match for you with just Arondight!"

The two rushed each other and met at the half-way point as they'd wanted. Now wielding his dark-forged sword with both hands, Koragg showed the true scope of his swordsmanship - the Knight of the Lake had finally met his match. He parried and he counterattacked, he dodged and he turned it into a counterattack, he attacked and reacted with lightning speed when it fell short. In turn, Lancelot held nothing back.

Holy steel against unholy steel, man against monster, both warriors knew the dynamics of their relationship well without having to utter a single word. They spoke to each other through their swords - two lifetimes of battle exchanged in a shower of sparks and burst of thunderous clashes. Feints were either deciphered and ignored or followed through, leaving both knights slowly but steadily gathering a number of cuts on their respective armors. Neither showed it, but with every cut, a mental smile grew.

A missed slash sent a nearly invisible crescent wave of air blazing through the simulation. Several of them impacted the crumbling castle, further damaging it. Neither Koragg nor Lancelot paid much mind to the slow sounds of the multiple cracks forming in the structure. At until they moved their battle there.

They'd become little more than colored blurs, one purple and the other white, repeatedly ramming into each other as they moved from tower top to rooftop. Explosions of stone and brick echoed their deadly exchanges like a nonstop series of fireworks, the air itself continuously shaking with the after effects.

Lancelot parried Koragg's attempted overhead thrust then angled his sword for a stab at the abdomen. In one swoop, Koragg batted the attack as well as knocked his opponent off balance. The dark sword glowed with an unholy black light that made the hairs on the human Servant's neck stand on end. Quickly regaining his balance, he hit back watching how his own sword seemed to shriek in rage and agony at contact with Koragg's. They clashed again, spreading spider-web cracks along the rooftop. During their second, purple lightning arced up Koragg's blade nearly blinding the Knight of the Lake due to its sheer brightness and intensity. In a second, he broke off and in another, he swings at a horizontal angle, only for Koragg to block him with a vertical slash.

"That sword..." He grunted.

"You've felt it by now, haven't you?" The Knight Wolf coolly responded.

Luckily, Lancelot didn't make the same mistake as Bedivere. Instead of visibly showing his anger, he merely hardened his face and put all his emotions into his next swing, and what a swing it was. Koragg actually grunted in slight pain as he felt his muscles bulk under the pressure of Lancelot's sword.

Unable to sustain either of them, the rooftop gave out dropping the pair hundreds of feet downward. The descent did little to mediate their battle as they swung their respective swords at the other, the shockwaves rocking the inner hallways and walls of the castle. Both reared their weapons back then struck, resulting in an explosive burst of air and energy that fanned outward like a bomb blast.

From the outside, it seemed the castle had been rocked by some sort of explosive, which in a manner of speaking was true. Several more of these explosive blasts occurred, in some cases causing the castle interior to outright collapse.

In one case, it exploded upward.

The blast of dark magical energy sailed skyward until it hit the "ceiling", causing the blue illusion to ripple and distort. Shortly following it came a giant fin-shaped mass of whitish-blue energy that suddenly darted to the side, bulldozing through the castle and forest until it hit the edge of the simulated world.

_**BOOM!**_

A silver blur shot out of the collapsing roof then barreled through a castle tower, bringing it and the flag of Chaldea crashing down. Quick as lightning, the dark-colored blur followed after it, a trail of black tinted with red and violet burning in its wake.

Lancelot saw the attack coming and gritted his teeth. He gripped Arondight as tightly as he could and focused almost all of his energy into the sword, causing its magically-crafted blade to blaze with sacred light.

Light and darkness collide in a clash that shook the arena and more than likely the entire facility. Hundreds of eyes, even those far greater than humans and beasts, were forced to look away as the sphere of chaotic energy almost totally enveloped Lancelot and Koragg.

_**BOOM! **_

The human's arms hurt like hell and his head was ringing with the force of a hundred bells, leaving it next to impossible for him to discern what was happening around him. Through the haze, he saw something - a figure. A mass of black swirled about above, the figure then came down like a bolt of lightning. Lancelot had just enough time to register what it was and reacted by frankly raising Arondight above his head.

Impacting like a meteor falling space to the hard ground, Lancelot kicked up stone, dirt, and metal alike as the earth bellowed around his impact crater. Finally, the last foundations of the castle gave way, causing it to groan one last time then collapse into a mighty heap of rubble and ashes.

Rising from the debris, Lancelot leveled his sword at the dark comet heading straight for him. Roaring in primal fury, he meets Koragg in yet another battle of strength that resulted in the ground further breaking apart. Bright blue bolts snaked from where the two warriors struggled against one another and raced up the arena. Not even as they broke away did the electrical storm stop, it only grew as the two warriors went back at each other with a flurry of sword slashes.

_**CLANG! **_

Koragg saw it, a brief break in his opponent's defenses and he took it. The black fire ignited along the blade as he dealt the first blow which unbalanced the Knight of the Lake. The second blow left a searing-hot gash along his chest, the third turned the single slash into a bloody X that would have brought lesser men to their knees.

"That's-!" Shouted Lancelot through the blood.

The final stroke of the hammer fell and with it came the volcano-like blast of dark flames that scorched Lancelot's silver armor black and even broke it away. Almost as quickly as the eruption came it was over, leaving behind a smoldering crater in which Koragg stood on. His sword still swelled with the dark magic that defeated Lancelot's comrades.

Across from him, bloody and heavily wounded stood Lancelot. Half of his face was now red from the blood pouring from his cut cheeks and forehead while almost his entire right side was bare, revealing the scarred and burned flesh beneath his armor. Taking a stance, he held Arondight high above his head. Called forth by his will, the fairy letter-inscribed weapon turned into a beacon of radiant light that washed across the ruins of the castle. Blue tendrils swirled around the sword.

Koragg himself stared in slight awe at the radiant glow. Though the darkness in his soul snarled in disgust and rage, there was a part of him that couldn't help but be a bit mesmerized by the divine glow of the sword. It reminded him of his former enemies who he respects much, especially the red one who came to his mind. There was only one way he could respond to such a thing.

For what could be the last time, Lancelot felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the purple and silver-accented knight slowly raised his sword in response. As he feared, dark magical energy encircled the weapon turning into a blazing torch of black fire in comparison to his shining beacon of a sword. Silently, he watched and analyzed the knight's fighting style and fighting tool. What he was seeing before him, watching the way his sword seemed to gather energy finally confirmed it. There was now little doubt that what stood before him had to be a demon.

Over the inner com, Da Vinci frantically called for the two Sabers to power down, that the arena couldn't take another clash of such titanic proportions. Neither Lancelot nor Koragg paid her much mind, the former would apologize to her when he could move his body, the latter would simply tell her to build to stronger standards.

Though only for a second, a silent exchange between the two men followed. This fight would not settle the matter between them, far from it. But, it had given them insight into one another.

At the very least, they could say they had a respect for each other.

The light condensed into Arondight's blade at long last. **"Arondight…Overload!" **

Unlike its counterpart, Koragg's power didn't condense into the sword, quite the opposite. It grew until what he was holding was a massive, crackling and swirling mass of malefic energy whose very existence tore and burned away at the reality around it. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he waited until the Knight of the Lake came within striking range. At long last, the name flew from his invisible lips, a name that would engrave itself into the memories of all those present.

"_**DARKALIBUR!"**_

Charging straight ahead, the lone beam of light headed straight for the gigantic wave of darkness that shot forth from the tip of Koragg's sword. It was all consuming like the knight itself, and yet the closer Lancelot drew, the more he saw.

Yes, at the heart of the approaching wave of darkness, there was a light - shining pitch-black in the darkness like a twisted moon in the night sky. Instead of safety and security; it heralded annihilation.

_This man, this demon…_ Thought Lancelot as he braced himself for the wave of pain about to overtake him.

Alarms sounded all above him. They would do no good.

_God almighty... _

The darkness wave with a single beam of light shining through it was upon him as he raised his sword to meet it.

_...IS HE THE SECOND COMING OF VORTIGERN?!_

* * *

Only one warning came for the onlookers - a single brilliant flash of light that changed colors twice. White became black, and then black became deep violet rimmed by red.

Darkness and fire, a truly unholy combination, together they spread outward in all directions like an unholy flood. Metal warped and bent in seconds before it was utterly destroyed. The light that might have shined bright was quickly and totally devoured, and anything resembling doubt or unease were wiped away by the black tidal wave that continuously expanded without end. Behind the glass, the hundreds of spectators breathed in collective shock, followed by horror as they saw the reinforced glass protecting them along the various force fields in front of them **break**. They gave out in seconds. Exactly the length of time it took several to take in air to scream and for some to act to shield the masses.

Helena and Ryoko had been through much worse than a few shards of superheated glass and metal, but the magical shockwave that was accompanying those things froze their blood. Fear, cold and silent gripped their hearts and stilled their bodies, leaving it to their parents to act.

Ritsuka, acting faster than what should have been humanly possible, grabbed his daughters and hurled them to the side while Joan threw up her arm. From her back came a set of crimson-colored ethereal wings that completely covered the Fujimaru family while creating a protective field of energy. Inside the dome, Helena and Ryoko snapped back to their senses. Cold realization set in as they found their parents clinging to them as if they were about to disappear; based on what they heard outside, they could hardly blame them.

Beside them, Sieg and Jeanne acted to do the same for Ida and Akara, both of whom were in the same boat as their friends. Instinct took complete control over the latter, forcing through his medication and bandages causing his normally tan skin to turn into a myriad of dark scales. Over them, a thin layer of magical energy manifested, a secondary defense that would not hold for long. Ida too acted on impulse, throwing herself over her surrogate brother and holding him tight. Atop the two of them, the Caster and Ruler stood strong, the former summoning his draconic wings while the latter set up a defensive barrier; not just around the four of them, but her sister, her brother-in-law, and her nieces as well. Some would have called her selfish for only shielding those four, but fear was fueling her actions more than any shred of logic.

The whole world went black, pitch black without a shred of light. Hundreds of whispers, shouts, all of it faded into a massive vacuum that sucked up anything and everything for what felt like an eternity. As quickly as it came, the blackness faded, distant sounds began to chime in. The sounds of fear and shock.

Seconds ticked by like hours until neither of the young witches could stand it any longer. Surprisingly, Ryoko broke away first. Concentrating, she phased out of the barrier despite her parents' warnings. It was then that Helena acted, gripping her sister's wrist stopping her. In the darkness, her turquoise eyes found those of her father's and the golden yellow of her mother's. Slowly, the wing shield receded and the Fujimaru family looked outward to see the aftermath.

"_Putain de merde…_" Spoke the family of four in joint unison.

Destruction.

Mayhem.

Devastation.

Alarms of all kinds blared while the sprinklers sprayed themselves, try dousing everything beneath in water. Given the massive columns of smoke coiling from the arena, that was perfectly natural. Gone was the protective glass screen, along with the windows they'd been attached too. Though they smelled blood over the smoke and ash, they didn't smell death. Glancing around, Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief seeing those with the power to such as Medea and Mash had shielded the onlookers thus preventing causalities.

But those in the arena had been a different story.

The girls, young and full of vigor, got up and moved towards the viewing area with Ritsuka and Joan closely following behind her. Joan had manifested her sword and had a look of deadly seriousness on her face. When they caught up to their children, their mouths too opened in shock at what they saw.

It looked as if a firebomb had gone off and scorched the chamber pitch-black. Fires, deep violet and bright crimson-red with black bases, burned on the floor and walls of the practice arena. The sprinkler system was having about as much success in putting them out as Lancelot, Bedivere, and Tristan had been defeated by the dark stranger Helena and Ryoko had summoned.

Speaking of said stranger, he was the only one left standing.

He stood at the epicenter of the massive crater that had once been the simulation arena, his sword, Darkalibur, still gripped in his right hand. Before him, lying on his scorched back lay a beaten but still very much alive Lancelot. At the knight's back lay Tristan, a pool of blood spreading out from his side as he tried to contain it. Far off to the right Bedivere was attempting to stand, and failing to even lift up his upper body.

Calls were made for medics and technicians, causing several to scramble. Amid the chaos stood Helena and Ryoko, their bodies frozen and their eyes wide as they stared at the destruction their possible-Servant had just wrought.

"H-Helena?" Asked the youngest. Normally calm and cool, she had stumbled her sister's name.

"Y-Yeah?" Replied the usual plucky girl in a stunned voice.

"What…what the _**fuck**_did we just summon?"

Faintly, the older girl was aware of how her sister had just cursed in front of their dad and actually gotten away with it. That alone empathized how deep they were in. Inhaling a whiff of smoke actually helped her to regain her senses. Tightening her fists, Helena strode forward until she was standing at the edge. Placing one knee forward, she glanced downward.

As she expected, the dark knight was staring right back at her.

It was a challenge.

"_Are you two __**worthy**__ to be my Masters?" _

A second later and Ryoko joined. Her stunned face of fear and awe too had been replaced by the blazing determination that was the pride of the Fujimaru Family. Side-by-side, the sisters stood and returned the dark knight's glare.

If Dark Saber had lips, he would have smiled.

His first ordeal at Chaldea had been settled. Now onto the second and most pressing one.

Even as the crowd broke into a frenzied panic, several stopped and turned their gaze toward the sisters and the newcomer. In one way or another, they could all sense the building tension between the three. Even Artoria spared a glance in their direction as she and Gawain pushed through the crowds and jumped over the railing to tend to their comrades. A very real shudder of fear ran through them at the thought of the Fujimaru sisters confronting a being capable of defeating three of their own, and amongst them, the strongest of Knights of the Round Table.

For others, they merely burned with curiosity.

In a battle of knights, the Dark Knight had come out the victor, but how would he fare against Chaldea's two up incoming Dragon Witches?

The wait to find out the answer wouldn't be long, for better or for worse.

* * *

**And cut! There it is, Koragg's first on-screen (so to speak) battle. Now, it goes without saying that he was one of the toughest enemies in Mystic Force, strong enough that he could repeatedly fight off the entire team and on occasion defeat them so that already says something about his power level. SINCE THEN, I will say he's only gotten stronger, much stronger. Another thing to point out, Koragg is someone INHUMAN, meaning the power scaling he's on is a tad bit different than those of "mortal" Servants like Lancelot, Tristan, and Bedivere. This is going to be a recurring element since this story will feature various inhuman/superhuman creatures, even by Servant standards. **

**Speaking of scaling, I'll take the time to address his use of Dark Magic. Now I know that characters such as Lancelot have high Magic Resistance which would **_**normally **_**render them immune to magecraft, or at least modern magecraft. Now, Dark Magic, given its origins and mechanics, works on something of a different principle. It is HIGHLY dangerous to magical beings because what Koragg using is magic taught to him by **_**the Master of the Underworld**_**, whose end-goal was devouring of all magic in the world. This type of setup isn't exactly alien to the Nasuverse. For example, in the CCC Fox Tails manga, Tamamo's curses are able to bypass Suzuka Gozen's Magic Resistance to deal her serious harm, showing that Magic Resistance doesn't cover CERTAIN types of magic/spellcasting. **

**Right about now, I imagine some of you are probably saying, "Darkalibur, seriously?"; yes, the name is punny, but it rolls off the tongue and a friend and myself believe it has some nice charm. I'm sure you can probably connect the dots on what it is based on Koragg's explanation to Bedivere. Also, while the name may sound corny, it is rather meaningful. The sword's name is a mixture of Dar- for Dark (of course), -kali- for Kali (meaning "the black one" in Sanskrit), and -bur for Excalibur. Also, it has the word "Kali" in it, and for those of you into Hindu mythology, that should tell you what kind of weapon it is. In closing, it proves that Koragg is definitely a Saber-class Servant. After all, what sort of Saber doesn't shoot sword beams? **

**Okita - *turns to the corner and proceeds to cry in shame* **

**Um…yeah, uh, sorry about that, Okita. Still, you have an Alter copy that shoots sword beams that ERASES anything it hits! **

**Anyways, the next chapter is going to see our two leading heroines step up to the plate? How will they fare against a guy who wrecked three of Chaldea most skilled fighters? Wait until the next chapter to find out! **

**Oh, and congrats to Italy, who will be hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics! **


	6. Chapter 5-Fire and Darkness

**Welcome back, everyone! Now, the last chapter featured Chaldea's latest newcomer making a statement by bounding three knights in shining armor into the ground and scaring the crap out of everyone. This chapter we'll be exploring the fallout, how our young heroines will try to avoid meeting the same fate, and checking in on the villains. Onto the story! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 5 - Darkness and Fire**_

* * *

It wasn't like the Fujimaru sisters hadn't been in this position before; they had, quite a number of times. Often, it was a joke that they inherited their "luck" from their father. Contrary to what most people thought, Helena and Ryoko were actually proud of that. Chaos followed them, and they enjoyed being at the center of it.

That said, even they were capable of acknowledging when they were staring down something three times bigger than them. In the case of the mysterious Servant they'd summoned, that was exactly the case. They'd just watched him decimate three Knights of the Round Table, all without resorting to his stronger measures. Both girls knew that last part for a fact; so too did everyone else. Speaking of which, even as workers and medics moved about the scene, their eyes still eventually drifted to the purple and black-clad warrior who'd single-handedly wrecked the training arena.

He was looking quite casual about the whole affair, keeping his gaze on the two sisters.

Several others were looking their way as well, their friends, guests, workers, and the Servants they'd grown up with. Almost all of them shot sideways glances at the girls, who stood still as statues as they stared back at Dark Saber. Behind them stood their parents, their expressions rightfully grim. Ritsuka's hand was placed over Helena's shoulder, protectively squeezing it as he always did. He knew his oldest daughter well, she'd inherited her mother's fiery spirit and was often the first to meet any new challenges, even those that should have been met with caution. For once though, she was doing just that; subconsciously, she reached up and placed her hand against her father's. In contrast to her husband, Joan merely hovered over their youngest daughter, casting a protective shadow over Ryoko.

No one dared to mention it, but the youngest Fujimaru was trembling if only by a slight margin.

One person noticed it, and acted on it. Akara's bandages were on the verge of dissolving away, revealing his abnormally scaled skin. Said scales lightly rubbed against Ryoko's palms as he took her left hand into his right. Not bothering with false courage or pride, Ryoko returned his squeeze.

This didn't go unnoticed by the dark warrior, but he refused to say anything in regards to it. "Do you still wish to face me in battle, young witches?"

Helena gave her father's hand a tight squeeze. "After all that…do we look like the type who are going to turn tail and run? Get real!"

If possible, the knight might have smirked. "Very well then, all we need do is decide on a place and when."

"We have another training arena like this." Spoke Ritsuka in a flat and serious tone. Though his voice was tame, it carried outward like a boom of thunder. Wide-eyed, several focused their attention on him, human and Servant alike. Rather he liked it or not, he still held great sway within Chaldea, and some would argue rightfully so. After all, without his efforts, none of them would be standing where they were. "Chaldea has three training arenas like this so while this one is being repaired you can use the second one. That will do for you, Dark Saber?"

Up in the command center, Da Vinci practically suffered a heartache. Goldolf too, leaving Holmes as the only holdout. What other reaction could his words possibly get?

"That is acceptable. Now all that's left is-"

"Tomorrow at noon!" The youngest Dragon Witch hoped her words didn't come off as too panicky. Her words had just spilled out of her, unthinking and unplanned. "W-W-We'll face you…tomorrow at noon. If we…" Ryoko couldn't bring herself to say win because she knew their odds of triumphing over the Servant were _extremely _unlikely. "If we…we…"

"Prove yourselves, as I first asked when you summoned me." Boomed the dark knight. "Tomorrow, I will engage you two in battle, I will judge your worth, and should I find you two worthy…then I will accept you and your sister as my Masters. Is that clear?"

Two sets of blue eyes locked together. The spark that had been flickering suddenly burst into an open flame that was visible to spectators.

"Then, prepare to be amazed, Dark Saber." Finally stated the oldest sister. "You better bring your A-game, because we're going to make what happened here look like child's play!"

"PLEASE DON'T!" Screeched one of the technicians.

Nodding in agreement, the dark knight turned his back from the Fujimaru Family and began to take his leave. He paid a little mind to those around him or in his path; actually, upon seeing him on the move, several scrambled to get out of his way. After the display of martial prowess and power, few wanted to be in his path even if he appeared weaponless. From the sidelines, he was watched with a mixture of interest and awe. Dark Saber was approaching the exit as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Some would have called it eye-catching, others mocking. In particular, one warrior found the strength to stand and speak in spite of the beating he'd taken.

"Knight! Hold!"

Eyes snapped to the standing Bedivere, or barely standing. Very little remained of his prosthetic right arm, now little more than a twisted hump of barely glowing metal. It was going to take time and effort for the silver limb to be repaired and made battle ready. In spite of his critical condition, Bedivere himself appeared as if he were readying himself for one more round. His fellow knights hissed at him to cease his reckless foolishness, his king more so than any of them. Dark Saber met his furious glare with a sideways glance.

"If you wish to challenge me again, then recover first then seek me out." Spat the mysterious Saber in his usual monotone. "Rather you have your fellow knights at your side or not, I will accept your challenge."

Hot anger flashed through Bedivere's eyes. His mouth opened to speak, but before the words could come out his body gave out, his knees buckling bringing him to the floor.

"B-Bedi…vere, I…we understand how you feel." Croaked the Knight of the Lake. If anyone was expected to be able to stand, it would have been him. The fact that he was still lying on his back, too sore to move, spoke volumes about how great the one-armed knight's anger was. "Y-You must…calm down, you…we…we all…fought our best."

"That you all did, so none of you have anything to be ashamed of." Commanded the blonde-haired King of Knights. Lancelot and Bedivere looked to their king with near pleading eyes. Tristan though still unconscious, seemingly stirred in his sleep indicating her voice was at least reaching the corners of his mind. "All three of you fought as best you could for a cause, that I applaud you all for."

"But we…we…failed you, my liege, and we…" groaned Lancelot. The mere act of speaking was causing him more pain than he thought imaginable. He'd taken hits before, but he'd at least thought his Magic Resistance would shield him from the brunt of the damage of Dark Saber's sorcery attack. Oh how wrong he'd been, how wrong he'd been in thinking they could so arrogantly challenge a warrior whose very summoning had shook all of Chaldea itself, designed to withstand anything up to the end of the world. The black tidal wave...he imagined the end of the world would look like if the forces of darkness won. "We…failed…Mordred."

"Even if you had succeeded, I doubt she would have praised any of you for it." Quickly, numerous eyes turned to Gawain, whose face was as sealed as a vault door. Not even Artoria was able to make out what her sun-blessed knight was thinking behind his straight frown. To the knights, it was somewhat unsettling, especially since that had been his demeanor during the entire incident. "My king, I ask that you stay here and attend to the others, I…will go see Mordred."

"We can come with you." Chirped quiet and nervous voice. The knights and medics turned in unison to find the Fujimaru sisters standing before them. They looked completely out of character.

Lancelot couldn't allow such a thing to persist. "H-H-Helena…R-Ryoko, p-please, n-n-neither of you…a-a-are to blame for this. T-The fault…argh, lies with us, for o-our…hastiness…a-argh, and our…arrogance. W-We are in this predicament of our…own choosing."

"Damn right you bucket-headed idiots are. Still, points to you for admitting it." Barked the harsh voice of the Fujimaru family matriarch. Though she'd marched in with a cold look in her eyes, it faded as her golden eyes fell upon the three knights. While she wasn't the biggest fan of the three, even she could acknowledge that they'd put up something of a fight. Besides, they were trying to stem the bad feelings here and now rather than letting them continue to fester. "As for you two, come with me. Akara, Sieg, you two get your asses in gear! We're heading to Training Room-C, got it!" As expected, there was a joint shout of acceptance, followed by some snickering. Joan's eyes moved in the direction of Artoria. "Hey, where's your male twin?"

Another round of snickering followed, this time from the medics hoisting the wounded knights up and getting them ready to be transported to the medical bay. The King of Knights looked to the side. "Arthur is…he's away on business, he ray-shifted with one of our new cadets."

Joan grunted in acceptance. "Then he's going to miss my daughters showing up the Pendragon line, talk about shame." A grin formed on the former Servant's face as the British Saber's eyebrow twitched. She may not have been her alter counterpart, but she served as a good enough target for her pokes and prods. Not to mention she was far easier to set off than her Blackened alternate self. "Helena, Ryoko, let's go. Against that bastard, you girls are going to need all the training you can get."

Helena gave her mother a mock salute while Ryoko merely sighed. It seemed that before they were thrown around like ragdolls, their mother was going to make sure she got her crack on. Regardless, like her sister, she let her lips curl upwards into a smirk at the thought of getting to spend some time with her mother. Truthfully, she'd been a tad disappointed she'd ran off after her rival the minute they'd touched down. Again, as if sensing her swirling emotions, two hands fell atop her head. One of them was her sister's, the other was Akara. Grumbling, she pushed them both away, hoping that her ahoge wasn't sticking up too much to be noticeable. Based on the side snickers and laughs she heard, it indeed was.

"So, Helena, about you and Genzo."

"Uncle Sieg!"

Watching the display was the Fujimaru Family patriarch, a soft smile on his face.

"It's good to be back."

At his side, Mash, Ida, and Jeanne giggled. Without a doubt, this was the man they'd all come to see as a friend and pillar of strength just like the rest of Chaldea. It was good to see he hadn't changed.

"And it appears chaos has followed you, though from what I can glean, your daughters may turn out to be bigger troublemakers than you, Ritsuka."

The expressions of the three women fell while the black-haired architect's remained passive. Truthfully, he'd been waiting for the Edelfelt Family's representative to make herself known. After such a jaw-dropping fight, it was only natural that she'd make a statement, specifically to him more so than his daughters or his wife. It was a good thing they left early as he would have had a hard time keeping the three back. Not that the three women surrounding him were much better, all looking like they wanted to silence the European blonde before she could continue speaking.

As one would expect of a magus, Katri Edelfelt ignored the piercing glares of the human, Servant, and Demi-Servant in favor of singling out Ritsuka. "You know, when word broke out, you were going to allow your daughters to summon a Servant, there were whispers about what sort of Servant they were going to end up with. Personally, I believed they'd end up with a Lancer or Berserker given their mother's heritage. Instead…they got something some sort of unholy spirit from who knows where. In all honesty, I'm not all that surprised. They are their mother's daughters after all…and yours, I suppose."

Jeanne placed a hand on Ida's shoulder to keep the half-German, half-Syrian girl from lashing out at the adult woman. Her normally cherry-red eyes were beginning to glow with emerald light as an indicator she was about to use her Mystic Eyes. For Mash, her cheeks were inflating showing she was ready to bark back in defense of not just her Master, but her goddaughters as well.

"You know my story so is that any surprise?" Lightly jabbed the black-haired man. If his time at Chaldea had taught him nothing else, it was how to maintain an excellent poker face. Furthermore, Chaldea had thrown more at him than Katri could ever hope to muster so her words were of little importance to him. "Look, I've got some things to do-"

"Like making arrangements for your family after your daughters lose tomorrow? I know a few people willing to claim that Dark Saber fellow once Helena and Ryoko relinquish control of him and he's up for grabs."

Ida's eyes flashed with murderous hatred as she nearly lunged at the green-eyed woman. "Like hell they're going to lose! Besides, if they can't get Dark Saber to respect them, what the hell makes you think one of you magus _schwein_ will be able to do it!? You saw yourself how he wrecked Lancelot, Bedivere, and Tristan so maybe you should try showing a little more respect!"

Katri shot the teenager a sideways glare, full of thinly veiled scorn. Her golden side coils barely shifted off her shoulder as she let out a haughty snort. "Respect? That's something I thought Chaldea would have been able to teach you, cur. Honestly, you're just as foul-tempered and pathetic as the last time I visited this place. Truly, it seems even Chaldea can't work miracles, turning beasts into half-decent magi."

The last straw broke, and Ida broke free of Jeanne's grasp. Emerald energy exploded from her eyes, temporarily blinding most of the onlookers. Those watching the scene merely braced themselves for yet another clash, though both the combatants were humans that didn't make them any less dangerous. Worsening matters was the fact that for the Chaldea workers, they _knew _Ida's temper all too well…and several now saw that the stories told of Katri Edelfelt had some basis.

Before Ida's fist could reach Katri, something moved in front of her, an arm. Her empowered fist, accelerated by the flow of time and magical energy, came to a sudden stop courtesy of one Ritsuka Fujimaru. There was barely any push back on her end as she realized that the patriarchal Fujimaru was standing as calmly as he had been a moment ago as he held her fist back. His eyes weren't on her, they were still trained on Katri, who watched the two of them with amusement. Her smug expression made Ida want to dismember her beyond severing a single limb. What stopped her were the spiritual waves emitted from the father of her two friends, silently telling her to let things go. Albeit reluctantly, she listened.

A shrill laugh escaped the Finnish woman's lips. "Though Chaldea has its fair share of beasts, it thankfully possesses its beast tamers. Perhaps you are the best tamer of all, Ritsuka."

Surprisingly, the Japanese man shrugged off the insult. He'd been called far worse by the professional magi that occasionally stopped by for a visit. "Katri, believe me, I'd love to stand here and discuss things with you, I have things to do."

An eyebrow was raised. "You're seriously going to stay here and help the rest of the rank and file with repairs? This battlefield isn't even going to be used for the match tomorrow!"

Again, he shrugged.

"And your daughters? What of them?"

He could tell she was trying to get him to react. He did - Ritsuka narrowed his eyes, letting it be known that he wasn't up for playing this game any longer than he had to. "My wife is sufficient enough in making sure they're ready. Tomorrow, I'm finally expecting them to give it their best, pass or fail." A smirk suddenly formed on the blue-eyed man's face as he crossed his arms and stared back at the Clock Tower magus. "If you want, I'm willing to make a little bet. They land three solid blows on Dark Saber before the match is over with thus proving themselves." Behind him, he could hear Ida laughing and felt Mash smiling. Jeanne sighed in acceptance, but joined the other girls in expressing support for him.

Katri didn't seem amused. She could see that she was losing control of the conversation. "You place a lot of faith in your daughters."

"That's what parents are supposed to do. I was under the impression that your parents do the same for you and your sister." Sniped Japanese designer.

His words hit home as evident by the sudden widening of Katri's eyes, and the brief flash of anger in them.

Holding back a snarl, the Finnish magus turned her back from the group, her golden side coil swaying about. "I will be watching tomorrow's fight closely, as will several others. The man who saved the whole of human history from certain destruction…and restored the balance of the Reverse Side of the World, both tasks a thousand times greater than anything he could ever hope to accomplish, yet you succeeded at both of them."

"But not alone." Answered the Japanese Master, taking a single step forward. Katri flinched. "Everything I've done, everything I've accomplished, I've had the help of people I trust and care about. You oughta try it some time."

Turning back to him with a half scowl, Katri replied, "If I'm ever in the mood for sentimentality, I'll consider it. Until then, I'll be caring myself the way a Magus should. You should consider it some times, Ritsuka. It's doubtful you'll ever rise to either of the top two positions, but you could at least make an effort for it. Honestly, you'd be preferable to some of the other disgraces we have littering the Pride category."

Shooting a quick glance around, the Japanese male shot back, "Nah, I'm pretty comfortable here. Surrounded by the people I know, crazy, insane, a little off their rockers, and generally fearing for my sanity and life, I'd say this place is where I belong. Besides," he leaned forward with a grin. "Do you _really _think I'll trade EMIYA's, Tamamo's, or Jeanne's cooking for the crap the Magus Association serves?"

Behind him, the mentioned Ruler laughed. Elsewhere in the facility, a certain foxy-eared Servant perked up as she felt her ego had received a well-earned message. Meanwhile, a white-haired Counter Guardian snapped himself out of his thoughts, it almost gave him away as he was trailing Chaldea's newest resident.

Admittedly, the western magus was willing to give Ritsuka that, as evident by her cool chuckle. She headed for the exit, pushing past the various fissures, flames, and bodies that impeded her. Katri never once looked back.

"Allah yakhthek." Sneered the nineteen-year-old.

"Language, Ida." Softly retorted the French Servant.

"Honestly, senpai, I don't know how you deal with that woman." Groaned Mash.

A light sensation worked its way up Ritsuka's back, eventually settling on his shoulder. With a soft smile tugging on his lips, he turned to his left finding a familiar white-furred creature staring back at him. He raised one finger up, and the Fou immediately replied by licking it affectionately. "Well, you do what you can. You avoid shouting at each other until you're blue in the face then it's a win."

"And if you can't?" Inquired Ida.

Both Fou and Ritsuka looked to the teenager with cheeky grins, which in the former's case was somewhat hard to decipher. "Oh, in that case, just bark as loud as you can. Sure, you'll lose some dignity, but sometimes it's worth it."

* * *

_**Dubai, 6:59 PM…**_

"So, how does this view compare to what you previously held? I'm sure it's a hundred times better than the dreary wasteland you were fished out of before, eh, Lancer?"

The Dragon Prince snorted, sending a small cloud of flames flickering into the open air. "On the second one, human, I can and will agree with you. Though the likes of your human cities mean next to nothing to me when not ablaze…I shall say this, it is preferable over the Shadow World. Not to mention the sunset…it is…" a rare genuine smile framed the demon's face. "It is something worth seeing. In fact, seeing it makes me wish I could leave this fortress and walk the streets of this city, painting them the same color. Just imagine how dazzling it should all look when night falls!"

A joint fit of laughter broke out between the two beings, one demon and the other human. There were some who would have argued that such a thing was impossible, but it was. For starters, while outwardly ordinary looking, the human possessed the heart of a demon just as his draconic Servant did. Why else would his entire body be marked in the heretical markings of the dark god of Persian faith? The god whose grace and machinations had allowed him and his cohorts to carry out their plan right beneath the noses of the Magus Association, world governments, and lastly Chaldea.

Olympius fully turned his head to examine the human that now stood at his side. Never in all of his existence did he think such a thing would ever happen. The closest he'd ever gotten to another human being was when facing them in battle, in attempting to roast the flesh from their bones, and failing. While he had accepted the human, he was not willing to call him his Master.

He was Olympius, son of the Queen of Demons and he served no entity but her.

One thing he'd learned quickly was that he and Ebner Rotfeld shared a few things in common. From what Ebner had been willing to demonstrate, he possessed considerable skill in the field of pyrokinetics. Olympius suspected such talent was why he was made his Master, to prevent him from killing the human with his baseline powers.

That just left open the possibility of ripping the dirty blonde-haired man apart with his bare hands. Crude, yes, but from time to time, Olympius willing to indulge himself.

"Ebner," began the demonic Servant, keeping his gaze on the setting sun. From his point of view, the dozens of skyscrapers that littered Dubai's landscape resembled tombstones. In time, that's what they'd become. "Exactly how long do you plan on having me remain trapped here? You must know that though I am a prince, I am also a warrior." A hand was raised, from it erupted a mass of jet-black flames. Suddenly, sweat began to build on the German's face in spite of his best efforts to remain firm. Though he'd toyed with the power of hellfire, he was still a mortal thus the gap in power remained massive. The Dragon Prince had to resist flicking his arm forward and sending the fireball sailing through the sky. Needless to say, the aftermath would be great…and the body count tall. "Try to keep me confined any longer and I fear I will begin to grow restless. You don't want that, do you?"

His threat was heard, but Ebner showed that he could stand eye-to-eye with the draconic demon. Chuckling as if he'd just heard a joke, he manifested something, a…tablet, or some sort of human device. Olympius cared little for the notions of human technology, but he could at least understand how some of it worked. Taking hold of the electronic device, he peered at the monitor, drinking in the details. His lips immediately curled into a dark smile.

"Ah, I see. So, _that _will be where we begin our assault. A fine target, I must say. The city's population surpasses that of Mariner Bay's by a nice margin, not to mention it'll surely attract attention."

"You want that?" Jested the green-eyed man.

He'd pressed the right button, or perhaps Olympius had simply allowed it to be pressed. His eyes burned bright in demonic energy, his fingers crushing the tablet in his hands into a mass of metal scraps, all of which quickly burnt to ashes. "I am a demon prince! I shall not hide away like some petty thief or low-level grunt!" Passionately, he swept his hand across the horizon, sending out a wave of blisteringly hot air and murderous intent across the cityscape. Those with the slightest hint of spiritual awareness would feel it, the first of many omens. "I will leave my mark on this world just as I left my mark on my own! And this time, I will not be stopped by a band of pathetic, lowly humans! Should they try, I will burn them to ashes!"

"Then please, have a little patience, Lancer." It was faint, but Olympius could tell Ebner stopped just short of calling him _his _Lancer. He begrudgingly respected that. The chaos sorcerer knew his limits as did the rest of his cohorts. Or most of them anyway. "Your time will come. We leave for the west in three hours, our agents overseas have already begun setting things up. Once there, you may tap into the Ley lines and begin having your fun. But know this," Ebner's joking humor dropped as he looked dead into the eyes of his Servant. "Chaldea will be the first to respond."

Olympius grinned. "You say that like it's something to be feared, Ebner. Do you not know who I am? Do you believe I will fall to the blade of humans again? Much less these Heroic Spirits that Chaldea employs? Are you mocking me?"

A single step forward, putting them within arm's length of each other. Amazingly, the German magus didn't back down.

How long he could keep this up was a matter of debate though.

"Let's get one thing clear, I know how powerful you are, I know you can raze this entire city if you wanted to, and that's before the Counter Force could begin to move against you. But, once it does…you will become vulnerable." The anger that sprung up within him was not directed that Olympius himself, but at someone different. Someone that the humanoid dragon had a faint feeling he was going to be meeting soon. "Chaldea will send its finest to stop us. Which means you will encounter _them_, the Fujimaru Family."

"Pretenders." Growled the Lancer-class Servant. "A clan of human worms that claims to wield the power of dragons!? I will show them what is the true strength of my kind! Strength they cannot even begin to fathom!"

"Then do as I'm telling you, be patient!" Snapped Ebner. "You will be flying in one of our private planes as not to arouse suspicion! Once we are within range, you can step out and…spread your wings."

Angrily, the demonic Lancer turned back to the sunset. The dragon in him pushed for him to blow Ebner to the side and take to the skies. Surely he possessed enough strength to cross the continent of Europe and the Atlantic ocean to get to the target city. He'd been told by Caster and the leaders of the Anjhat Angra that the moment he left Dubai, he'd feel the pressure of the World begin to tear down on him if precautions weren't taken. Without those precautions, his power would be stifled. And that made him vulnerable as Ebner had said. Teeth gnashed as the realization of how right the human was fully began to sink in. Olympius quietly accepted that he was going to be patient.

"When we reach this city…"

"Everything will be set up so that you can rampage for all the time we are there." Declared the mortal Master. "All we, all I, ask of you is that you have a little patience for a little while." There was a pause as he debated rather or not to leave the draconic demon alone or drop one more tidbit of information. Ebner decided to do the latter. "By the way, more rifts have opened resulting in more otherworlders falling through. Some of them I imagine you know…others…"

"Are you summoning any of them as Servants?"

"Yes, we are. In fact, I believe a summoning ritual is going on now as we speak."

"Who are you calling?"

"I honestly do not know. What I do know is that the summoning catalyst is some sort of…well, I believe it to be some sort of stone idol, one in the shape of an ogre or some sort." Replied the sorcerer. The Servant's interest was immediately piqued. "I believe you know them, or…or…"

"An Org," Answered Olympius, disdain evident in his voice. "Ebner…if I must, I will work with an org, but you must be made aware of what _their _kind intends for this world. Even we demons loathe them in spite of our races both being born from the darker forces of the universe."

"Oh, that I have no fear of." Laughed the German blond. "Though lions and tigers are both maneaters, the conflict between the two is entirely natural, especially when competing for the same prey. Do not worry though, we have sufficient ways of keeping who we summon under-!" Green eyes enlarged, catching the Lancer's attention. A second later and Olympius own enhanced senses picked up the disturbance as well. In unison, the two turned in a single direction, their eyes magically zooming in to observe the source of the disruption. "Well, well, it seems we have some strays mixed in with the bunch. Here I was thinking all those who came through would ally to our cause."

"Not all." Barked the demon. "As you must know, a handful attempted to stop us, to stop _me _as we made for the rift connecting our worlds! The fools! Believing in things like honor and righteousness! I owe them some payback, several times over!"

"Just-" His ears nearly popped from the sonic-boom Olympius created as he bolted from the rooftop. It honestly took him several seconds to recover and realize that his Servant had already left to investigate himself. So long as the scuffle was kept "light", they were in the clear. "Honestly, such an impatient demon…but I'm hoping he can back up his boast." Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his specially created cigarettes. Coming up to the railing, he lit a flame between his fingers and used it to light his smoke. "Ritsuka Fujimaru…Joan Fujimaru…hehehe, I'll show you arrogant little upstarts what true firepower looks like! I'll be watching it all! Here from this tower you helped design, Fujimaru!" What came next was laughter, twisted laughter that heavily clashed with the pressed suit and tie that Ebner wore. This was the true Ebner Rotfeld, the man that had slaughter half of his family in cold-blood as sacrifices, and proof of how far he was willing to go in showing his devotion to the dark god.

He made sure to enjoy the sunset before him. If all went as planned, it would be the last time the world saw a bright yellow sun shining over their heads.

Instead, what would be shining above them would be a pitch-black sun, perfectly fitting for a hellish paradise as the ones he and his fellow sorcerers were working towards.

* * *

_**July 13**__**th**_

_**Chaldea HQ, Alpine Tundra (Antarctica) 11:55 PM…**_

"Can you guys just come out already? Seriously, you both suck at hiding." Groaned the oldest Dragon Witch.

There was a brief murmur of debates from her parents, likely a little argument over who was worse at stealth. Turning their heads, Helena and Ryoko counted off the seconds until their parents stepped into their line of sight. Their father was first, nervously scratching his head and laughing as he usually did when they caught him doing something stupid. Right beside him stood their mother, looking away and grumbling in annoyance. Both of them were dressed in their nightclothes, which was basically just a t-shirt and sleeping pants, or shorts in their mother's case. The exact same as the girls.

"So, you girls _did _use this old place, huh?" Offered Ritsuka.

"Well, you and Uncle Siegfried said we could use it whenever we were here." Stated Ryoko, pulling her knees up. "We're so stressed out we're got no problems sulking in one of the places you and mom probably had sex."

A mutual grin blossomed along with the teens' faces while their parents' exploded into crimson blushes.

"W-W-W-We n-n-never-" Stammered Ritsuka, feeling his heart about to explode.

"H-Hey! T-That's no way to talk to your parents! E-Especially since you've got s-such a big day tomorrow!" Exclaimed Joan.

Helena rose to meet her mother's eye, a mischievous smile on her face. "Hey, you told us to relax and loosen up before tomorrow! That's what we're doing!"

Beside her, Ryoko snickered in amusement. Ritsuka sighed in acceptance, a half-smile on his face while he put his head on his wife. Her face was still attempting to muster up some anger only to fail, eventually, she accepted that their daughters had scored one on them before turning in for the night. And they were following her advice.

The pair moved toward the couch where the two teenage girls sat. Joan grinned at her youngest daughter before sweeping her up in her arms, Ryoko playfully laughed as her mother affectionately crossed her arms around her neck before settling down onto the couch, with her practically on her lap. It was one of the few times she ever allowed such a thing to happen. In accordance, Helena slid into her father's arm, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. Beyond the glass window before them flickered the lights of the Neo-Aurora as if just for them. Considering the role they'd played in the formation such as the lights, one could almost say that it was a light show just for the family of four.

"So, can we get the usual be careful speech?" Quipped Helena.

"Alright." Began Ritsuka. His mouth opened to inhale a fistful of air, but his wife beat him to the punch.

"Both of you better give it everything you've got…but no overdoing it." Stated Joan, softly rubbing her youngest daughter's head. "If you can't go any further, then don't even try; this isn't about pride or honor, it's about you two growing up to reach adulthood. I didn't give a rat's ass about that Dark Saber guy…you two, you two are what I'm worried about." Though the newcomer of Chaldea had talked of honor and she'd seen him practice it, Joan still had to think of things as any mother would have. Their daughters' Servant had yet to earn her trust, and likely wouldn't for some time. "Helena, you're forbidden from using the Transmigration spell. No exceptions."

"Mom!?" Shouted the oldest daughter, suddenly bolting from her father's arms.

"I'm serious!" Fired back her mother. Seeing the maternal fire burning in her golden eyes, Helena cowed down before her mother, knowing she was looking after her well-being. Glancing to the side, she saw the look of relief on her sister's face as well as the concern on her father's. She knew where they stood. "Helena," Joan began, reaching over for her cheek. "This is a practice fight, not a deathmatch. I know you want to prove yourself…but this isn't the place for that. Besides, if you throw that much power at him in such a confined place…"

The oldest daughter sat back, her mind now working to put the picture together. Helena swallowed a lump in her throat as she realized how right her mother was. Not to mention if she used the Transmigration spell, she'd probably be out cold for the next three days…and completely immobile for another two. And that wasn't accounting for the damage she'd likely receive from Dark Saber's attacks. She'd seen for herself how powerful his dark magic was, foolishly charging in was the exact thing that had done in Lancelot, Bedivere, and Tristan.

"Then…can we try using hellfire?"

Three eyes turned to Ryoko, who looked back at them all with quite resolution in her eyes.

"Ryoko, that's still-"

"I know, dad, our control sucks, even Helena's."

An eyebrow twitched. "I'm still better at it than you."

To the adults, it was somewhat welcome sightseeing their youngest stick her tongue out at her sister. "What I'm trying to say is Dark Saber wants to know if we're _strong enough_ to be called his Masters, besides, it's pretty obvious he isn't human."

"Which still gnaws at me. I don't think what you two summoned was from the Throne of Heroes." Stated Ritsuka with a frown.

"Think we might have called up a demon from the pits of hell?" Offered Helena.

Joan chuckled at the thought. "Maybe, maybe. He certainly gave off the scent of a demon, and I'm talking about a _real _demon. One thing is for sure, he's far stronger than Horatio. In regards to your question…well, it's like you said, Ryoko, this guy wants to see what we Fujimarus are made of…so permission granted, right, Ritsuka?"

"Since your mother has spoken, you've pretty much got my approval." Winked the black-haired man. "But, I'll say this, Helena, Ryoko, could you both try to keep things under control? Remember what happened the last time you two lost control of your hellfire? Da Vinci still mumbles about the damages you two caused."

"Oh well, looks like we're going to be giving her some more gray hairs," Remarked Joan as her grin turned malicious. Her gaze turned to her two daughters, who mirrored her expression. "Won't we, girls?"

What followed was laughter, dark, demented laughter suiting of witches. Should they have been heard by a regular mortal, fear and panic would have been the appropriate response. One could have assumed the three were plotting either murder or afflicting a horrific curse upon some unfortunate soul. Ritsuka, instead of panicking, slid back into the couch with a smile on his face. This was his family, those were his girls, his wife and daughters, warm like candle lights…and at times as dangerous as wildfires. He knew which side of the flame was coming and was content to watch from the sidelines until his intervention was needed.

_Da Vinci, I'm sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be working off another debt to you. Still, this'll give you the chance to test the holy water sprinkler system! _Mused the Japanese man while his family descended into near maniacal cackling.

Halfway across the facility, a certain inventor felt an ice-cold chill run up her spine. It was an omen, she knew it for a fact as she'd felt it before.

And she knew the source to be a pair of platinum blondes who enjoyed playing with fire just like their mother.

* * *

_**July 14**__**th**_

_**Locker Room, 11:51 AM…**_

As the locker door slammed shut, Helena leaned against it, a steady breath leaving her lips. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"

It was by some weird twist of fate they'd summoned an extremely powerful Servant, one apparently no one had ever seen before or had any record of. And of course, said Servant came with an attitude and power Helena both feared and respected. One look at the dark knight and she knew in the depths of her heart what she and her sister had summoned wasn't exactly a Heroic Spirit. Hell, she was beginning to think they'd summoned something that wasn't from this world at all. Her father had told her of all the summoning hijinks he'd gone through during his time at Chaldea. Now those hijinks weren't so funny as Helena and Ryoko had completely upstaged him by summoning a dark knight straight out of fairy tale.

"Last I checked, weren't you the one all gung-ho for this guy?" Quipped her sister, lying on the bench in front of her. "It's too late for us to back out anyway, so no use in getting cold feet, is there?"

Smiling, the long-haired witch stepped forward, her hand held out to her little sister. Ryoko's previous frown morphed into a small smile as she took her sister's hand and rose upward. The two interlocked fingers, then bumped fists with one another.

Side by side, they marched through the hallways, their faces grim and focused. It'd been almost two months since they'd found themselves in a situation like this, heading towards a battlefield against an enemy they knew to be way out of their league. But that wasn't enough to stop them, they were Fujimarus, the greater the challenge, the better. Or, well, that's what their father's motto more or less said. He told them it started out as something different, but their mother cut in and told them if the obstacle was great then that was all the more reason to go on ahead.

A dragon that flew only on clear skies was nothing short of a hatchling afraid to take a risk. One's true worth was found when the sky as dark and stormy, the winds battering them and lightning flash.

Through the storm, and into the skies beyond.

The sisters continuously flexed their arms as they made the short transition from the hallway to the simulation arena. As they walk passed various other members and workers, nearly all of whom paused to stare and whisper at them. Being the daughters of Ritsuka Fujimaru came with its fair share of perks and downsides, as did being the daughters of Jeanne "Joan" d'Arc Alter. This day though, in addition to all that, the pair now had to deal with the fact that word of their unnatural summon had spread like wildfire throughout the base. People had made predictions and placed bets; Helena and Ryoko had chosen to stay clear of those circles, knowing they needed every ounce of their brains focused on the upcoming battle.

In what seemed like no time the sisters stood before the end of the tunnel. Sharing a quick affirmative glance, they stepped forward into the light, their inherited turquoise eyes blazing with purpose. Standing out in the white and silver dome-like room was the purple and black-armed figure they'd summoned, the one that had identified itself as Dark Saber. The aura of darkness and danger hadn't faded, a fact Helena and Ryoko were somewhat happy for. If they expected to win this knight's respect, they were going to do it when he was at his best, because he sure as hell was going to be getting theirs.

Behind the glass an audience had gathered, a massive audience of Servants, Masters, and workers who'd all taken the time off to see the battle between the hybrid children and the mysterious Servant. It was perhaps larger than the one that had formed in response to Dark Saber's challenge to the three knights. Chatter was ripple among the stands with food and drinks being passed out in droves, as were money and recording devices. Behind their steely faces, the girls sneered at the thought of their impending battle being put on replay for the next couple of weeks. Now they just had all the more reason to fight as hard as they could.

Though they knew their opponent's eyes were on them, they couldn't help but search the stands for two people in particular. As expected, they were there in a special viewing chamber right next to the central control room. Their father encouragingly waved at them with a smile that made the girls' heart flutter in excitement. Beside him, stood their mother. Though her arms were crossed the second their eyes met, her lips curved into a visible smile. They were there for them, come what may they'd always be in their corner.

"You two have the courage to face me after seeing my previous demonstration. Commendable." Boomed the black knight as the two sisters finally turned their gaze upon him. "Tell me, witches, does your power exceed that of the Round Tables Knights I previously engaged?"

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't." Helena began spreading her feet out. Call her a tomboy, but she always felt somewhat more comfortable in Chaldea's exercise gear-steel-colored shorts with white t-shirts with the organization's logo emblazed on the side. It was just the kind of loose-fitting clothing Helena loved, and thankful, they were made to be extremely durable. "Just because we're not some fancy old knights of legend, doesn't mean we're not capable of kicking your metal ass."

"You have spirit, oldest child. Admirable, but only if you have the capability to back it up." Spoke the knight. His gaze flickered to the youngest sibling, who was dressed similarly. Her body language spoke of a predator ready to attack at any possible second. Peering into her now hardened eyes, the warrior realized if given the chance, this girl would take his head off and not think twice about it. That was good, very good. These girls had spirit, he'd give them that much. "I made my terms to you two clear: survive until the time limit is over, and depending on your performance I _may _find you two worthy to be my Masters."

The oldest sibling held up her fist, now tightly wrapped in protective wrapping. "Then we're all set." As she always did when training, Helena had pulled her hair into a ponytail, it was somewhat wild and spiky, a stark contrast to her aunt whom she'd modeled herself after. "Da Vinci!"

A digital copy of the inventor appeared before the two. She was visibly jumpy without a doubt, she knew what was going to happen. The massive training chamber, almost the size of two football fields attached together, was about to get torn apart. Quite a feat considering that Da Vinci and the engineering corps had designed it to be able to withstand blows from some of the strongest Noble Phantasms of Chaldea's Servants. On one side stood a Servant whose origins had thrown the entire organization tearing its hair out. Meanwhile, on the other side…the children of Chaldea's former last Master and savior of human history…were mothered by the Dragon Witch of Orleans. Officially speaking, "superhuman" was the classification the girls had been given, human-like entities possessing strength, stamina, and mystical abilities on par with Servants. On top of that, they were able to harness the power of dragons, the kings of fantasy.

This fight wasn't going to be anything short of a natural disaster.

Da Vinci chose to speak up, her stuttering voice coming in through the built-in speakers. _"A-Alright then, as p-previously l-l-laid out, t-this will b-be a time-based ex-ex-exhibition b-battle. T-The time limit is-is sev-seven minutes, l-l-lethal f-force is a-authorized," _There was a beat that the sisters recognized well, though no longer stuttering, Caster pleaded weakly whatever hope she can muster in her voice for her training arena to be safely intact after the battle...mostly._ "I will have something to say if you three get a little too buck wild and start tearing up the simulation dome..."_

Helena and Ryoko grinned at the hologram. "Oh come, it's us, when do we ever go buck wild?"

Of course, the knight's reaction was far more subdued. "I can make you no promises, inventor. I will repel their attacks to the best of my ability, nothing more, nothing less."

The legendary inventor hung her head low in defeat, realizing once again maintenance was going to have to be done on her beloved creation. She felt the strong urge to cry like a little girl, and she had the feeling of she would cry waterfalls and tantrums after the match...with one of her precious inventions reduce to ruins in the process. Thinking of the outcome made her feel worse as she felt something wet in the corners of her eyes; sadly, the occupants of the dome were apathetic to them.A brief sniffle preceded her next words,_ "A-A-A-Alright t-t-then, n-now t-t-that the rules h-have been set…a-a battlefield?"_

"The wasteland." Ryoko stated, looking the taller man in the eye as if ignoring the sniffling, unhappy woman.

As the inventor stepped back, the blue lights on the floor began to light up. From them came a pulsating wave that transformed the environment around the three combatants. Gone was the indoor arena, in its place was now an arid flatland dotted with mountains and ridges. Above their heads, white clouds lazily drifted across the azure sky. A solitary wind blew across the barren landscape lightly, tussling the pale blonde hair of the two girls.

In contrast to Dark Saber's armored form, the Fujimaru sisters were dressed in what might as well have been standard issue gym clothes. Orange-lined white shorts with a similar pattern t-shirt. Having been sewn within Chaldea's walls, the clothes could withstand being run over by a tank with not even a stain left behind.

A cool wind blew both sides before a digital clock appeared in front of their eyes. The numbers read seven before an unseen gong sounded. Then the seven turned into a six.

Surprisingly, Ryoko was the one who struck first, and she did so without fear. Dark Saber calmly raised his shield up to block her oncoming fist, the impact sending a slight tremor through his arm. Shifting his gaze upwards, he looked into the youngest witch's eyes. Dark Saber was pleased with what he saw, unlike with the Knight of Treachery, this girl's eyes were focused and determined, clear in their purpose which was carried out by the rapid swinging of her hands. Each punch sent another small tremor through the Morlock's arm. Though the girl could in a possible way harm him, he admired her spirit.

Next came the oldest witch, lashing out from behind. Dark Saber sensed her presence and sent a surge of magical power through his shield, throwing off Ryoko. Without any wasted effort, he spun on the heel of his boots just in time for his shield to meet the left leg of Helena Fujimaru. The shock that ran through his armor was greater, owing to the oldest girl's mightier physical strength. Another kick followed and failed before Helena withdrew. As a creature of the Underworld, the dark knight could naturally sense energy of any kind, if he couldn't then he never would have made it this far. He sensed powerful magical energy build up in the bodies of both girls. Helena's right arm lit up with flame-like markings, markings that looked highly like dragon scales, behind him Ryoko's arm did the same thing. Both girls slammed their respective arms down, sending forth a singular line of fire in his direction.

Tightening his fist, the knight slammed it down while encasing it in dark magic. The flames turned into a raging torrent once they were in striking distance of him only to be met with a curtain of black and purple darkness that surrounded Dark Saber like a protective veil. Just as quickly as the curtain materialized it was broken, or rather torn, apart by the swift action of Helena. In her hand was a dark gray flag-pole, with a flag made out of seemingly living, searing flames. Right before his eyes, the flames shaped into a one-sided halberd with an edge the wolf-themed knight knew could burn through steel and armor alike. Without a word, he once more raised his shield up to meet the attack, finding Helena had put considerably more strength into her downward swing.

He tried to raise his arm, only to find he could do no such thing. Peering at his restrained arm, he found a thin material, strand-like material encircling his wrist leading back to Ryoko. _Hair? Interesting, she must mix strands of her hair in with her fire, and she managed to get it through my dark wall. Not bad at all. _Breaking the hair strand, he gripped his dark shield with both hands and pushed upward, forcing the oldest girl back while the youngest slammed her palms into the ground. From the ground came a series of flaming-tipped spikes Dark Saber had no intention of being on the receiving end of. Quickly jumping away, he watched the eruption of metallic spikes change direction on accord and continue coming after him while Helena took aim and threw her flag-pole turned spear.

Putting his shield before him, Dark Saber allowed the crimson eye housed within to show itself. Not just Helena and Ryoko, all the spectators tensed when they saw the red orb flash scarlet. Even those with next to no magical capability felt the unabashedly evil nature of the eye as well as the dark magical energy it summoned to protected its master. Ryoko's spikes and Helena's spear collided with the translucent purple barrier around the warrior. To the girls' frustration, their attacks bent and warped, turning into pure fire and orange-colored energy that spread across the barrier before the magical energy retreated back into the eye on the shield. "Wolf Attack!"

Mentally cursing, the girls readied themselves as a pack of dark magic-composed wolves burst forth from the shield. For a minute or two, they reminded the girls of Caster Cú Chulainn's white wolves, but these beasts howled for blood and were upon them in a heartbeat. Both reacted in ways that were unique to each other. Ryoko summoned a flag-pole of her own, one whose size greatly exceeded hers, yet she swung the weapon with such mastery the knight knew she'd been trained well. Over yonder, both of Helena's arms lit up with white-hot flames, illuminating her beautiful yet deadly face. Roaring in primal fury, she struck out with her hands, meeting each wolf in a clash of darkness versus fire.

Dark Saber dashed towards Helena upon seeing her dispatch all of his dark wolves. She showed no fear when he appeared before her, a swift and terribly wind being the only signal. Her blue eyes glared at him through his dark visor. Her right fist became a swirling mass of fire and energy while his shield opened once more. The witch's fist jetted outwards to meet the blood-colored orb without a moment of hesitation.

Fire and smoke engulfed the two fighters, cracks and fissures forming around the sphere of destruction they'd created with their collision. Ryoko remained firm under the gale-like burst. She watched with keen eyes as two figures darted out of the smoke, acting once she made out the black and purple form of their foe. At her mental command, several flag poles arose from the ground behind the knight, arcs of red electricity connecting them all before igniting into tendrils of flames. The dark knight quickly recognized the ploy and slammed his feet into the ground before his back could touch the fire wall. Jumping some thirty-feet into the air as he avoided the trap.

The knight said nothing as he sensed the young girl appear behind him, the flames of her flag-pole having morphed into an oversized mallet. Her weapon was swung almost exactly as when Dark Saber struck out, catching the girl by the throat. Like her sister, Ryoko showed no fear despite having her neck caught in a vice grip. In fact, Dark Saber precisely felt his hand beginning to heat up as if he were holding a chunk of magma. Down below, he felt a coming heat source; Helena, speeding towards him with a blade cutting through the air like a knife through butter. Not missing a beat, he threw the youngest girl at her eldest sibling, interested to see how they'd react.

To the Morlock's surprise, the flames morphed from a scythe blade into a giant scoop. _Just like the Red Ranger-no, perhaps with a little more control than him! _Helena turned in mid-air with her sister still held tightly in her embrace. With a proud yell, she released Ryoko, sending the girl rocketing towards the demonic knight like a bullet. Her arms glowed in a similar manner to Helena with a pattern of draconic scales, which she crossed over her chest in preparation for when she finally met him.

Positioning his shield in front of him, Dark Saber gathered dark energy around his shield's eyepiece. In spite of the sensing build-up, Ryoko did not waver, nor did Helena. He couldn't see their expressions as the beam of dark magical energy exploded forward slamming into Ryoko, then into Helena. Down below on the ground, smoke and ash went up from the beam that made the impact.

At last, Dark Saber's feet touched the ground. He examined the impact crater. There were no bodies or outlines of bodies. Nor were there any droplets of blood.

Shortly after a look across the area, he heard the flapping of wings, leathery bat-like wings that could only belong to _one creature_. Glancing upwards, he saw his two opponents, both unharmed standing atop the backs of a pair of decent-sized, gray-scaled dragons. The beasts glared at the Saber in much the same way a predator stared down its prey. They cared nothing for the aura of malice and power Dark Saber silently radiated, they'd blast and tear the knight at the command of their mistresses until their foe was dead. The Morlock could respect that.

"Medea wasn't kidding about the dark magic stuff; my scales were barely able to absorb the full impact." Helena muttered. "Even with our magic resistance, those attacks are going to leave us feeling sore in the morning."

"You don't say." Snorted the shorter of the pair. "Regular power isn't going to scratch him, and the knight boy hasn't even brought out his sword. Then again, that's probably a good thing. The minute that sword comes out, something tells me we're going to experience hell."

"If hell's going to come up, we'd better be the ones who ring the bell, eh?" Ryoko looked at Helena with a smirk as she rose to her feet, her flag raised alongside her sister's. Together, the two metallic poles began to glow crimson and orange, an invisible wind blowing the flags while the family crest woven into them hummed with ethereal light.

Helena had kept count. Almost two minutes had passed, so little time yet she could hear her heart thundering in her chest. By the time the clock was up, she knew her kicker would really be doing overtime. The dragon behind the two roared in invigoration, a moment later and it was joined by several more of its brethren, all of them glowing the same colors as the sisters' flags. Jaws opened and flames gathered within them, the heat sky-rocketing to near volcanic levels. Dark Saber showed little to no signs of fear as he merely raised his shield, the crimson eye glowing brightly as the six assembled dragons took aim while the Japanese-French witches coordinated their summoned beasts.

In a unified voice, the sisters gave the command. There was a brief shudder, then the flames exploded from the six dragons, each a roaring torrent of orange, yellow, and red that cooked the air as they traveled through the air. They all met at a single point, their target - Dark Saber.

Rock and fire exploded outward in all directions as a dark red-tinged purple barrier manifested around the armored knight, the epicenter being his shield, which he held tightly at his front. Burning bright was the demonic eye, almost howling at the searing heat of the dragon fire in front of it. Inside the barrier, the ground beneath Dark Saber's feet began to crack and even liquefy as the heat reached truly monstrous levels.

"Hey! Ready to acknowledge us!?" Shouted Helena, her focus not once wavering in spite of her challenge.

He was moving, if only by a handful of inches per second, but the fact remained that the combined fire blast was starting to make the dark knight budge. _Their fire, it isn't just the pathetic little candle flame I was expecting. It's almost…it's almost on par with…_Ceasing his musings, Dark Saber focused his mind on his incoming counterattack. Unfortunately, the sisters seemed to have predicted his eventual attack.

Beneath his feet, he felt the ground cracked. Sparing a glance down, he saw the earth begin to split open seconds before his ears registered a feral snarl; a prelude to the eruption of stone and teeth that was followed seconds later. First, Dark Saber pressed forward, allowing the wave of fire to proliferate where he once stood and shrugging off the flames, then he launched himself upward. It was just in time as a minute later and he would have found himself within the jaws of the gigantic, rock-bodied dragon that had emerged from the ground, whose black and dark-gray scales glistened amidst the orange and red flames. Irritation burned in the dragon's eyes as it realized its prey had eluded it, denying it a dark, tasty meal.

Soaring into the air, the mysterious knight looked over the details of the beast. _A cave dragon, and quite a large one. _He realized. From a single glance at the stone-like scales, the creature had been well-trained and well-fed. Who summoned it didn't matter, what mattered was what he did with the dragon. Though it couldn't fly, that didn't mean it wasn't a threat.

A series of roars broke his train of thought. While the cave dragon couldn't fly, four of the flame dragons the girls had summoned could, and they were coming straight at him. Dismissing his shield, the knight stretched both arms out, magical incantations rippling through the air.

"Uthe Mejor!"

On both sides of the knight appeared a dark magic circle he quickly thrusts his arms through; they came out the other end as the size of industrial cranes. Fingers curled into fists as they were swung in wide arcs, swatting aside the air-borne dragons in spite of their great size and power like flies. To their credit, the dragons didn't go down without a fight. Those who managed to regain their balance quickly came back in for a second attack. Dark Saber responded by either punching them out of the size with his enlarged fists or taking them in hand, and crushing them.

Their deaths came quick, their mangled corpses hitting the ground before the eyes of the Dragon Witches. Hot anger momentarily flashed through their eyes. Rather dwell on their slain friends, they glanced up to find Dark Saber still hovering above them, his fists still magically enlarged.

Spacing her feet out, Helena glared upward at the floating Servant. "Well, come on!? Are you too scared to come at me!?"

Invisible eyes narrowed, a right fist was reared back, then launched forward. Straight from the pages of a comic book, the giant fist shot forward, a magical missile in comparison to the girl on the ground.

Teeth gnashed, Helena shot her left fist forward, a myriad of ethereal scales running up her arm.

_**Boom! **_

Plumes of fire and dark magical energy exploded from the collision, of which there was no victor.

Helena gazed back at Dark Saber who returned her glare. Without hesitation, he launched his second gigantic arm at the superhuman teen.

_**Boom! **_

Though he possessed no human face, Dark Saber grinned. His blood was pumping, as was Helena's based on the violent smile on her face. Both of them reared their arms back, then launched them forward.

_**Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! **_

Fire and darkness collided in a nonstop, thunder echoing through the stimulated battlefield as well as the outside. Spectators could hardly believe what they were witnessing - a pummel duel, the likes torn from a video game…or perhaps a certain comic book. Adding to the surreal sight was the expression on the oldest Fujimaru daughter's face. She was grinning like a fool, excitement passionately burning in her eyes as she met the giant fist-shaped projectiles blow for blow.

"_Oraoraoraroraoraora!" _Shouted the long-haired witch as her fists became little more than colored blurs, moving back and forth at immense speeds. Her ears were abuzz with the explosive thunder born from her draconic fists, countering each and every one of her Servant's magical attacks. Rather than exhaustion or fear, all she felt was an ever-growing sense of joy and bliss as the battle continued.

* * *

_**In the Stands...**_

"WAY TO GO, HELENA!" Shouted Beowulf, who'd jumped from his seat and pumped his fist in excitement at the display of punching power, a huge smile plastered on his face. Punching power he'd help cultivate. He was far from alone.

"DAMN STRAIGHT! CRUSH THAT TINCAN INTO SCRAP METAL!" Cheered one Achilles, the legendary warrior of the Trojan War, with a near savage grin. His fist was also raised along with his foot positions out on the chair below him, much to its owner's chagrin. Beside him, his ever-present partner, Atalanta groaned in annoyance while next to her was Medea facepalmed herself. The Greek women were proud of Helena as well, but at least they were restrained in showing it.

Unfortunately, a third member of the crowd followed in the lead of the Berserker and Rider. "GAAARRAAAHHH!" Thundered the greatest hero of Greek mythology, his fist raised in admiration of the oldest Dragon Witch. From an outside view, it was a proud and noble display for one engulfed in anger-fueled madness. For others, it was an indicator to scramble as far away as possible, which is just what many did.

Two sections over, a certain wise queen clamped her hands over her ears. "I knew I never should have allowed the girls around those muscle heads."

Beside her, a white-haired Ruler chuckled at her irritation. "I don't believe it would have done much good, Semiramis. Helena is Helena, a fiery and hot-spirited woman, just like her mother." Though violence wasn't quite his thing, he had to admit, he was enjoying himself. He did hold something of a soft spot for the Fujimaru sisters, and watching them show what they'd learned did make his lips form into a smile. "This is who she is, and you're just as proud of her as the rest of us, aren't you?"

The pummel duel continued, as did the cheering from the more rumbustious members of the crowd. Semiramis hated being lumped in with them, but in the truth, her heart was in the same place as them.

She was proud of how her surrogate nieces were holding their own against this otherworldly enemy.

* * *

Dark Saber was impressed.

He'd thrown one-hundred and thirty-eight punches at the oldest Dragon Witch…and she'd managed to counter each and every one of them nearly perfection. What's more, she looked none the worse for wear, Helena looked like she was ready for more. His honor and pride demanded he answers her request. The magic circle on his right arm tripled in size, he punched through it, his right arm super-sizing itself to the point the pale blonde resembled an ant about to be squashed.

But Helena Fujimaru was no ant: she was a dragon, a witch, even if one only just barely out of adolescent.

Both her arms were pulled back, red-lined black scales manifesting upon them. Her eyes flashed blazing-red seconds before she thrust them forward, catching the colossal fist in its tracks. The ground beneath her buckled, cracking and splintering, but she remained strong. Arcs of black and purple lightning rolled off of the magical fist as it attempted to crush the witch impeding its path; Helena pushed back, an aura of roaring flames surrounding her. Just as Dark Saber had done, she reared her right fist back, then launched it forward.

_**BOOM! **_

Darkness was quickly overtaken by fire, flames which gradually turned deep purple and black as they burned away the dark magical energy. A second boom followed, a sonic-boom. One minute, Dark Saber was staring at a cloud of fire and darkness, the next Helena Fujimaru was zooming through that cloud, her leg coming forward in a flying sideways kick that would have left a nice bruise on his stomach if the limb hit it. His shield was summoned, the dark metal being harder the older sister expected as evident in her slight wince of pain.

Dark Saber remained perfectly calm as the second sister appeared above him, her flaming flag raised…and directly above her, the cave dragon from earlier had curled into a ball wrapped around by her flag's "fabric" made of fire, a giant flaming ball almost twice as big as the dark knight was. Helena grinned at him, then pushed herself away just as her sister brought the dragon down with a swing of her staff. The dark-armored warrior vanished as the rock-bodied dragon spun on its way down, its dark scales glowing bright with the flames from the fire flag, dropping like a massive boulder with Dark Saber on the bottom.

The resulting crash could be felt even in the stands, causing several to wince. Being body-slammed by a dragon was not a comfortable experience, being body-slammed by an earth-dragon from high in the air while its _spinning _and covered in _hot flames_ was nothing short of death and agony delivered in the most painful ways imaginable.

Neither Helena nor Ryoko believed the fight was over, not for a second.

"So, think he's going to bring out the sword?" Offered Helena.

Ryoko nodded, raising her flag into a defensive position. "Get ready, he's coming."

Barely a second later and the cave dragon they'd summed roared in pain. There was a moment of silence, then a flower-bud-like explosion of dark energy that sent the rocky-scaled lizard skyward. A shadow moved in front of it, then came the sonic boom of a hard kick that sent the wingless beast soaring across the battlefield. The girls responded immediately, not to attack Dark Saber, but to save their summoned beast. Ryoko got behind it, attempting to catching him in spite of her small size. Dark Saber zoomed in for the kill.

Helena appeared in front of him, her arms raised, ethereal scales coating them.

_**SLISH!**_

Blood and scales burst from the injury, causing the older girl to visibly grimace in pain, yet her arms remained attached to her body. In response, there came several roars of bestial anger. From the sky came dragons, some of them from before and others summoned of their own accord in response to their mistress' pain. Flames coated their jaws as they all dove for the dark warrior who'd wounded Helena.

_**SLISH! SWOOSH! **_

Helena felt her blood chill at the death cries of her dragons, and her body shivered as she felt an unknown yet impossibly dreadful aura fall upon her. She is not alone as several in the stands, specifically those bearing the blood of dragons, shuddered in equal fright. Blood splattered across the ground as severed bodies hit the dirt, smoke coiling from the wounds that had killed them. Helena stared at the corpses of her summoned dragons. Anger blossomed in her eyes, only to bit down as she channeled it as she'd been trained to. Her eyes went to the weapon that had been used to slay the dragons which the Morlock flicked the said weapon to rid of the blood of her dragons from its blade. Despite there were no longer bloodstains on the unknown steel of the sword, Helena picked up something from the weapon's scent by the sniff of her nose...which made her pupils go draconian slits in an instinctive reaction as her irises turned from turquoise into burning ambers. _That sword of his…it _**reeks**_ of dragon blood-hell, just __**blood**__ period as if the sword had been bathed in it and blended with it. That means..._

"That sword of yours…you're a dragon-slayer." She slowly deduced as her eyes returned to normal.

"Yes, I am." Affirmed Dark Saber, pointing the tip of Darkalibur right at the older sister. "**Darkalibur**, this sword I have created from my own, the one that slew the legendary hero Hercules himself, and the legendary sword belong to the fallen enemy is my primary Noble Phantasm. This blade has slain not _just_ the dragons, but ogres and demons and fairies and even the divine. I have taken many lives with this weapon, now a symbol of death and destruction as well as my pride." A dark, haughty chuckle slipped through the knight's unseen lips. To her credit, Helena showed no fear nor horror at his statement. In fact, the resolve on her face only further hardened. "I commend you, Helena Fujimaru, the fact that your arms remain attached to your body is a testament to your sturdiness."

In spite of the stinging pain in her arms, the long-haired girl met his chuckle with one of her own. "Hey, this isn't the first time I've fought at a type disadvantage. Hell, those battles are the best kind!" Now that she was able to get a good look at the blade, she knew their battle just got three times harder. Beautiful and dreadful, she felt awe for the weapon as the glow was as unholy as Berserker Lancelot's dyed-black Arondight, Mordred's Clarent Blood Arthur, and Sigurd's Gram, yet she couldn't deny that it carried a slight holy shine similar to Saber Artoria's Excalibur, Gawain's Excalibur Galatine, and Saber Lancelot's Arondight. A paradox of light and darkness. Quietly, she filed it to the back of her mind.

Behind her, the cave dragon rose and roared a challenge at the knight, anger flashing in its eyes. Helena's heart skipped a beat as she snapped her head back to the dragon. "Hey, hey! Durin, stop!" Surprisingly, the knight remained stationary while the dragon halted and motioned to its mistress, snarling at the older sister in an almost pleading manner. In turn, Helena's eyes softened as she looked back at the rocky creature. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Come on, you know we're pretty tough."

Ryoko walked up to the creature's head, a gentle hand rubbing its jawline. "She's right. Durin, I know you wanna stay and fight with us, but this is something we've got to do for ourselves." Another pleading growl left the creature's lips. "We've still got some tricks up our sleeves, so relax." She winked.

Silently, the knight watched the armored dragon, Durin, looked between the two sisters. Finally, it seemed to have decided to heed their words. As the creature began to dissolve into particles of light, it shot one last glare in Dark Saber's direction. A moment later and the cave dragon was gone, returned to the "stable" accessible only to the Fujimaru family. Ryoko sprinted to her sister's side, Helena held her arms out for treatment while keeping her gaze on Dark Saber.

"Thanks for waiting, not a lot of guys do that." She said with a small smile.

Dark Saber snorted. "Attacking a warrior with his or her back turned? Do not think me loath to use such tactics." As the healing process ended, Dark Saber raised his sword and shield while behind him a clock manifested. Three minutes were left. "Are you ready, children of witchcraft?"

Smirking, Helena held her right arm out. Flames spiraled out of her hand as an object materialized. It was a sword, a two-handed broadsword with a five-foot blade of bright orange-red. Inscribed on the surface near the middle was the kanji for "fire". The hilt was a dark gray rectangular-bar capped off by a set of curved spikes. Helena held up the weapon, its point meeting Darkalibur's.

"This is my weapon of choice, Dark Saber, meet **Feucoeur**."

"A fine blade," he admitted. "Now, let us see if it is more than just shine and luster."

_**CLANG!**_

* * *

_**In the Stands...**_

A certain husband and wife duo latched hands, their grip on one another tightening. Just two seats from them, a draconic humanoid and a saint did likewise. A certain Shielder decided to take no chances and manifested her giant cross-accented shield. Like the couples, she acknowledged the fight had just entered its most dangerous phase, the one they'd all feared. If worse come to worse, she needed to be ready.

_And so begins the real battle. _Thought several individuals, especially those were Chaldea's veteran fighters. Even those loath to admit they'd taken an interest in the battle.

* * *

Much to the knight's delight, the teen's sword held up against his own. It continued to do so as he put more struggle into the blade lock he and Helena had fallen into. While excited, he didn't lose track of the second sister; Ryoko appeared on his left side, her flaming flag having reshaped itself into a scythe she brought downward. Pushing Helena away, he spins to his side, bringing his shield up to meet her attack, in his other hand Darkalibur burned with dark energy as it was raised to attack.

_**CLANG! **_

Surprised, Dark Saber examined the second weapon now held in her left arm. It too was a polearm, a trident to be exact. Much like Helena's sword, the trident held a color scheme of orange, yellow, and red. Gleaming at the base of the weapon was a reddish-orange gem that burned like the peak of a volcano. Two of its three blades were locking his sword in place…and draining the magical energy from the blade. Dark Saber did a double-take as he realized what was happening.

Ryoko smirked, even as the Servant pushed her and her sister away then went on the attack. His shield opened up, firing several dark wolf heads at the sisters. Spinning, Ryoko swatted-no, absorbed the attacks using her trident. Dark light colored the flames as she thrust the weapon forward, forcing Dark Saber to parry the blow. Helena came in next, her broadsword coming down at a diagonal angle that would have cleaved the knight in two had he not reacted at lightning-speed and parried her attack as well. Rather than anger, the older girl smiled as she made several more swings that he was forced to meet.

_Growing up amongst legendary swordsman and fighters…has done these two well. _Commended the knight. His instincts told him to move, and that's exactly what he did. Where his left foot had once been, now there was a black singe mark courtesy of the flaming whip that was Ryoko's flag.

_**SWOOSH! **_

Outside the battle arena, the audience collectively gasped as they saw, even if only for a second, the flaming orange cut that ran across Dark Saber's abdomen. It was no bigger than one's pinky and little more than half a foot in length, but it was very much there for those watching closely.

Rather than anger, the dark warrior felt excitement, joy practically overrunning his body. That feeling manifested as his sword became a flaring jet-black and red and purple blow torch he swung in wide but controlled and calculated arcs, forcing the girls on the defensive. His furious swings came to a stop as Ryoko caught his blade with her trident; amazingly, she held strong even as he put more pressure on her, causing the ground beneath her feet to crack. Just as the trident began to absorb the dark power, Dark Saber flared up, literally. The once concentrated shape distorted, becoming an uncontrollable ebony blaze that broke Ryoko's concentration. In a heartbeat, Darkalibur was swung and the younger sister was sent rolling backwards, smoke and blood coiling off of her form.

Spinning on his heel, Dark Saber's dark blade met Helena's fiery one, their respective elements exploding outward forming a cocoon around them.

"Quite some time has passed since I've seen a pyrokinetic as…determined as you are!" Roared the Servant, bearing down on the teenage girl.

"You haven't seen anything yet! You wanted to see what we could do!? Well, here it is!" Thundered back Helena. Her eyes briefly shut, then opened. When they did, the flame of life was roaring in her light blue orbs. "Mode-Eternelle!"

The air shifted, extreme heat suddenly cooling, then rocketing back up.

Orange and yellow transformed into bright gold with red highlights. Dark Saber's gasp of surprise was muffled as his dark magical energy was suddenly extinguished, his hold broken. Pressing her advantage, Helena swung her sword in a horizontal arc that impacted the Servant dead-center. He disappeared amidst the shower of golden flames that ate away at his body. Across from him, Ryoko rose, blood pooling from her forehead and lips, but her eyes blazing with determination. Planting her flag down, she recited a quick curse incantation. Around the golden fireball appeared a number of flags, each with flags of flames like her own. They all snapped at the entrapped figure. His arms and legs were bonded, leaving him all but completely immobile. And vulnerable.

The sisters were standing side by side, eyes ablaze with determination. Helena raised her now golden sword, shining flames coiling around the blade, giving off a near sun-like radiance. Similar flames were wrapping around Ryoko's trident, which was pointed skyward just as her sister's sword was. Roaring in unison, they brought their weapons down, launching their attacks together in a single direction. Racing side by side, the golden flames morphed into a singular blast that ran straight for Dark Saber.

Seeing the attack coming, he used his dark power to free himself from the restraints. Immediately, his shield was raised in the defensive position to require for him to survive the coming attack.

"_**Wolf Shield!"**_

Blood-red light shined from the oracle implement, tendrils of dark and purple energy wrapped around the warrior, concentrating around the shield into a spherical barrier that took the brunt of the combined attack. The golden flames completely washed over the sphere, searing the ground around it, yet at the same time slowly but certainly chipping away at the dark magic that the knight had summoned to protect himself. Darkness and light, the two powers struggled against one another, their clash straining the holographic environment of the battle as evident by the arcs of electricity that began to crackle about. Gnashing their teeth, the girls poured more power into their flames, causing the flaming beam to grow larger and stronger.

Behind his shield, the dark knight hunched over, focusing more of his power into his defenses. Then, he took off, charging straight through the fiery beam with his shield even as his magical barrier began to show signs of cracking. _They can wield the power of the Immortal Flame, I was not expecting that. _Remembering an old tactic, he flipped his sword into a reverse grip then poured on the power. Dark Saber's feet left the ground as the mystical sword turned into a jet thruster he used to close the gap.

That was, until he was within striking range; it was then he raised the sword upward, firing off several crescent-shaped arcs. They came faster than bullets, coming upon the sisters in seconds, forcing them to break away.

First, Dark Saber knocked aside Helena, who tripped to the ground, her arms ringing from the shockwaves sent through her arms. Second, he moved to Ryoko, who hastily raised her polearms in defense. An upward strike broke her guard, then his frontal kick sent her skidding across the ground. Blood fell from her lips and her eyes widened as she looked up to see the knight coming at her, sword raised and ready to cleave into her.

_**CLANG!**_

Curiously, Dark Saber turned his head to find the source of the black-metal chain currently wrapped around his arm, it belonged to Helena. Narrow-eyed, she sent a wave of flames along the chains; the knight responded with a wave of dark magic while running straight at her.

The two fighters met in a violent embrace, Helena's sword slamming against the warrior's shield while her free hand grasped at his sword hand, keeping it locked with an iron grip. Digging her heels into the ground, Helena pushed forward attempting to overpower the Servant. Behind his visor, a crimson eye flashed, then the crimson eye on the shield opened.

Helena cried out in alarm as her right arm hissed in agony, Fecoueur slipping from her grasp. She had little time to call it back as she felt a hard fist drive its way into her gut, depriving her of air. Several more punches followed ending with the older girl on her back, a hand on her throat and a sword leveled at her head. It descended, only to be stopped by Helena's left hand. Curiosity colored Dark Saber's face as he attempted to push the sword deeper, cutting into the teenager's skin, yet failing to do as he'd intended. In retaliation, Helena grabbed at the knight's helmeted head with her free hand, her eyes had turned into feral slits.

Both combatants were in a deadlock, which was exactly what Helena wanted. Though under immense strain, the Dragon Witch managed to grin even as blood trickled down her lips.

Alerted, Dark Saber turned to the side, just in time to catch a giant flaming mallet coming his way. Its burning hot surface sent both he and Helena soared across the sky, their bodies throbbing with pain. Helena recovered quicker though, her hand reaching out and calling for her sword; Fecoueur flew back into her hands like a boomerang. Eyes set, she blasted toward Dark Saber, her sword pulled back and crackling with energy. Seeing it, the knight summoned his own weapon, dark energy coiling around the edges.

"Mode-Noir!" Shouted the platinum blonde, her blue turquoise eyes flashing orange-red.

_Hellfire!? _Exclaimed the Morlock in mid-swing.

_**Boom! **_

Pitch-blacks flames and flakes of darkness were expunged from the earth-shaking explosion born from the two attacks. The unholy energies spread throughout the arena, sending shockwaves and cracks across the stimulated wasteland. Up in the command center, Da Vinci screamed for them to stop fighting as the system was already at its limit.

None of the fighters chose to listen to her.

Helena came skidding back down, Ryoko at her side. Across from them stood Dark Saber, his sword raised and swirling with gathered dark energy while emitting black-lined light. They knew what was coming.

"Children of Witchcraft…it is time for us to end this! Should you survive this attack, then I shall consider accepting you two as my Masters!" Shouted the dark knight.

Looking between each other, the girls nodded in understanding, their feet spaced out apart and their bodies ready. Around them, the air crackled with energy while the general mood dropped. Sweat formed along their brow, quickly becoming tainted by the blood they'd spilled during the battle. A pillar of roaring dark magic. Breathing became hard, yet they focused their minds and prepared themselves as they sensed the energy build-up reached to its max. It stabilized into a towering beam of pure destruction colored black, purple, and red.

"**Darkalibur!" **

The beam descended upon them, the air exploding as it did so.

Chunks of the ground were uprooted and incinerated upon the dark beam meeting the combined power of the Fujimaru sisters. Helena's sword was raised, crossed with Ryoko's flag pole and trident, all three weapons holding up against the dark mass while their owners gnashed their teeth in effort in a desperate bid to keep from being crushed. To them, it felt like attempting to bench-press a mountain, one that was constantly spewing magma and an actively bearing down on them. Their legs burned and screamed, yet they did not bend. Instead, they pushed forward.

Dark Saber silently watched while still attempting to crush the two girls under the blade. The horrid sound of metal screeching against metal, fire and darkness grinding against one another, all of it vanished as his focus turned to the two girls fast approaching him.

_Though they know my power is greater than theirs…they keep on going. No matter the injury…they keep on going. And no matter the danger…always putting the other before one's self. _

The two sisters were charging him. His vision blurred and instead of two teenaged girls, Dark Saber saw something else - he saw five figures, all in their own personal colors coming right at him. Through their helmets, through their wands, he could feel the determination in them, **feel** it. It was hotter than any flame and more massive than any mountain.

It was the thing he could not understand.

It was the thing that had plagued his mind.

It was the thing that had enchanted his mind.

It was the thing that had made Dark Saber accept Alaya's offer.

Helena and Ryoko were on him, within arms' length. They stood at the base of his sword beam, a literal inferno above their heads and around them as they gave a unified roar of willpower and pushed his sword upward. Dark Saber fell back, but then instinct kicked in. Gripping his sword tightly, he leveled it right, then swung with all of his might. The attack was too close for them to dodge.

So neither of them bothered.

Helena moved in front of her sister, her sword held out and ethereal wings manifesting from her back. They tucked in tight serving as a shield to the coming attack.

Amazingly, the light persisted even as it was overcome by the blazing black torrent, a destructive power that tore apart the ground around them. Rock and dirt broke down, changing into metal, which quickly bent and cracked as it blown away or outright incinerated. Twisting arcs of lightning sprung outward in all directions, colliding against the force field that shielded the audience, all of whom who fell back. All…save for two, who stood upright, horror and shock on their faces.

For the second time, a training arena was blown apart, all of its systems going haywire as they collapsed under the powerful strain of the battle's conclusion. Glass cracked and exploded outward as metal beams groaned in agony. In the control room, an inventor cried out in comical despair before being yanked to the ground by one of her aids.

* * *

_**In the Stands...**_

Katri Edelfelt's hand shook as she held it out, the magical barrier she'd thrown up just barely holding together. "T-T-Those…those…those half-bred brats…they…they…"

"Both the Immortal Flame…and the flames of Hell." Answered one of the magi beside her, a look of equal shock on his face. "They summoned them both. The rumors were true, the girls truly have learned how to tap into the Spectrum of Flames. We…we didn't plan for this!"

In retrospect, it wasn't impossible, but it wasn't something any at the Magus Association had thought would happen so soon. Helena had just turned seventeen, and Ryoko was less than two days away from turning fifteen. Not only had they learned how to conjure the Flames of the Abyss, but they had also mustered the Immortal Flame, the Grand Flame of Life as well. The sacred fire possessed by the likes of phoenixes and life gods. And they'd used it to wound a demonic Servant before the eyes of hundreds.

The assembled magi were in various stages of shock and disbelief, arguably more so than the others. They'd expected a clean defeat on the part of the Fujimaru sisters, what they'd got was a show of strength and willpower from the Fujimaru Family, a magus family arguably in name only…but one that seemed able to pull off the impossible. Perhaps the most shocked among them, Katri stood up and slowly walked to the edge of the stands, her eyes wide and disbelieving of what she'd seen. The evidence stared back at her.

* * *

Smoke banked out in all directions, obscuring much of the battlefield, or the remains of it.

Through it, a hand was raised, then swung out releasing a dispelling gale that blew away the smoke.

Directly across from Dark Saber, kneeled down, were the bleeding but still resolute forms of Helena and Ryoko Fujimaru. Dividing them from the Servant was a jagged fissure from which flames and heat ate away at the metal, revealing a dark chasm. Though bloody, the two teens had been through worse; this was evident in their standing up, weapons held tight and their faces showing they were ready for the battle to continue.

"_S-S-S-STOP! P-P-PL-PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ALMIGHTY, STOOOOPPPP!"_ Came the grumbled voice through the intercom.

Ryoko blinked, as if realizing for the first time the simulation had been broken. She looked around, her jaw dropping. "Uh, did we-?"

"_YOU WENT OVER THE TIME LIMIT!"_ Screeched Da Vinci, her hair ruffled as her furious eyes leaking tearily streams of anguish. _"YOU WENT TWO MINUTES OVER THE TIME LIMIT!"_

"Geez, no need to shout!" Defended Helena. "You're going on like you've never had damages worse than this when we all know you have!" Her mouth opened to speak, but ceased as she felt the shifting attention of another.

Seeing their attention was now on him, Dark Saber began to speak. "When I drew my sword, you recalled all of your dragons and decided to face me by yourselves." His voice was completely barefoot of emotion.

"Well, yeah. It would have been just stupid for us to keep throwing our dragons at you only for you to kill them." Answered Helena, crossing her arms. "Besides, every dragon we summon…every one we ride, they're our dragons, _our _friends. If we can avoid putting them in danger then we'll do that, every chance we can get."

"You…value them that much?"

Ryoko was the one to speak this time, her voice just as passionate as her sister's. "They're our friends. Hell, a lot of them we raised from hatchlings! Of course we're going to protect them! That's what friends and family do for each other!"

"Heh, what right do we have to put them at risk when we aren't willing to do the same?" Answered Helena, standing up straighter with the help of her sword. "Those that don't have the guts to lead on the battlefield don't deserve to lead at all, that's how I see it. Besides, fighting on the frontlines with my friends and comrades," she grinned despite the blood running down her face and lips. "That's my style. What better place to be then in the shit with the people you care about?"

There was a pause on Dark Saber's part as he looked between the two siblings, as if realizing for the first time they were related by blood. His aura was no longer aloof, it was one of…confusion.  
"Even though you knew your odds of defeating me were slim…you still chose to fight on."

Stepping out of her sister's shadow, Ryoko coughed in gather attention. "As you can see, we're a special kind of stupid, we get it from our dad…and our mom." The youngest's lips twitched upwards in a grin, slamming her fist into her open palm, Ryoko grinned in a manner similar to her sister. It became evident in that smile that the two girls were without a doubt siblings. "You can't expect us to not want to clash steel to steel with you, can you?"

"You both could have been killed, and if not that than maimed at the least, yet you still chose to risk physical combat." Pressed the dark magic user.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You said you wanted to see if we were worthy to be your Masters, well, that cuts both ways." Helena declared. "You talked good smack to Mordred, and sure as hell backed it up when you whipped Artoria's knights." Looking around at the ruined arena, no longer on the mountain terrain and placing them back in the confines of Chaldea, the Japanese-French girl decided she might as well get it off her chest while she could, consequences be damned. "As a Frenchwoman…I gotta give you credit for that. Though if you did it to the Twelve Peers, I'd be cursing your ass from here to Okinawa."

In spite of himself, the knight chuckled. "For the record, the Twelve Peers deserve just as much praise as the Knights of the Round Table, even I suppose, that traitor Ganelon." Crossing his arms, the knight's voice slipped back into its serious tone, now booming across the room. "Having seen that, you still chose to challenge me, knowing your odds of victory were slim to none."

"More like nonexistent, but we still had to try." Ryoko affirmed, her polearms held tight. "Only cowards give up the fight before the first punch is thrown, and even if everything seems hopeless, keep flying and eventually you'll see the sun rising above the chaos. That's what our parents taught us, and that's the creed we live by."

"From now until the end." Echoed Helena, positioning her sword in a fighting pose indicating she was ready to continue the battle.

The being that identified itself as Dark Saber, the Servant Sword of Darkness, regarded the two girls with a long and hard glare that they returned in equal intensity. Around them were the spectators in the stands and control room. Several were leaning forward, even the most stoic of seemed now thoroughly invested in the outcome of the standoff.

Wordlessly, the knight began to walk towards the pair, his every step audible to the masses and sending a slight chill up their spines. The superhuman sisters readied themselves for the slightest sign of trouble, though a part of them truly doubted the knight would try anything underhanded.

Once he was within arms' length of the two did they lower their weapons. Though they'd been raised to fight in whatever manner safeguarded their survival, something told them their lives were no longer on the line.

And then the mysterious knight got down on one knee before them, his head bowed and his right fist placed flatly against the floor.

"U-Uh?" Stammered the two.

"When I appeared before the two of you, I wondered what you were, but now I know. I knew warriors like you in my lifetime. Though we fought on opposite sides…I respected them, they were the worthiest opponents I'd ever faced. In the end, they triumphed over me and my Master, not because of trickery or deceit, but because they hold the same power as you do. I do not know what that power is, yet I know in the face of adversary it can give power to the powerless, and even bring about a miracle."

Helena and Ryoko looked each other in confusion then back to the mysterious Servant now kneeling at their feet. Both decided it was a good idea to keep their mouths shut and simply listen.

"Over the course of my life, I have met a great many beings of all shapes and sizes and creeds. Few have earned my respect, many have earned my scorn and the wrath of my blade. You two are amongst the former, so for that, I will serve you."

"Y-You mean..." Helena began, stuttered.

"My name is **Koragg, the Knight Wolf**. Warrior of the Master of the Underworld." Proclaimed the knightly warrior for all to hear. "Once I was a warrior of the darkness, but now I serve the Counter Force, and it is by the authority of Alaya that I appeared before you, and it is by your strength of will I surrender myself to your service. From this day forth, I am your Servant Saber, I shall be your shield of defense and your sword of destruction. I swear upon my honor as a knight, should the brilliance in your eyes remain, I shall continue to walk beside you both, from here to the depths of the Underworld and beyond."

Once more, the sisters looked between each other then back to the now identified warrior. Smiling proudly, they held out their hands, Helena her left and Ryoko her right.

"Very well then-" Began the oldest sibling with a large, beaming smile.

"-Then we're a team of three from this day forward!" Finished the youngest with a wide grin.

Atop the siblings' hand, crimson light shimmered into existence. Behind the two, the sound of footsteps could be heard, though neither paid it much mind. The sisters' eyes watched as an ethereal insignia formed in front of them - a sword-like glyph whose blade was seemingly surrounded by flames and whose guard area fanned outwards in the shape of wings. As the light faded, the pair found the emblem was tattooed onto both their hands.

Excitement and relief swelled up in the sisters as they looked to each other with ear-to-ear grins. Quicker than they could comprehend, their arms were around one another, joyfully proclaiming their accomplishment for all too hear. From the stands an explosive wave of cheers erupted. The noise was so thunderous it seemed the entire arena was shaking once again.

When Helena and Ryoko sensed a set of familiar presences did they stop in their celebration to turn around. Standing before them were their parents. Their father had tears in his eyes, tears of pride and joy as did their mother's. Naturally, she did her best to wipe the tears away, requiring her husband to do so. Through the building waterworks, they smiled at Helena and Ryoko, causing the superhuman sisters to begin fighting off emotional outburst themselves. It was with their nods of approval the girls turned to each other and finally let their emotions show. Ryoko ran for them first followed by her sister. They practically tackled the pair to the ground, yet held on tight to them all the same.

Koragg watched the emotional display with a mentally straight face, then he began to smile. He was thankfully no one could see his face or make out his emotions. _Maybe this time I can find out what that thing is...A heart. _He pondered, watching the Fujimaru Family embraced altogether as if their lives depended on it before breaking apart and turning to him. It was hard to place their expressions as no one had ever looked upon him in such a way.

He straightened up as the girls looked each other, grinning, then back at him and returned to his side. Helena was the first to reach him, she struck out the top of her hand with Ryoko following shortly after, making the dark knight looked down at their hands in bewilderment.

Seeing his puzzled stare, Ryoko giggled. "It's a modern thing. You put your hand over ours, that's how this works."

"Come on," Helena urged, giving him a teasing smirk. "We won't bite. But please, don't bite us either." She joked heartily.

In his mind, he'd seen his old foes do it a few times before, he could never find what was so appealing about it. But...he can try and find out. Though he shook his head in mock annoyance, the sisters could detect a hint of affection in him. "You humans and your customs...Very well then." Slowly, Koragg's armored hand reached out for the other two where it hovered about Ryoko's.

Before his hand could join theirs, the lights overhead blacked out completely, leaving the entire chamber in complete darkness. A myriad of voices naturally went up in confusion, and concern.

A candle-like flame sprung from the tip of Helena's finger. Nervously, she looked at her sister and Servant. "Hehehe, guess we overdid it, didn't we, guys?"

"YOU DID! I LOST MY SUMMONING CHAMBER AND NOW TWO OF MY TRAINING ARENAS IN THE SAME WEEK! RUINED BECAUSE OF YOU THREE! WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME!? WHY!? WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Everyone, including the two girls and their now official Servant, looked at the crying form of Da Vinci - with no difficulty as Helena's flame illuminated the inventor and her surroundings while those who can see the woman through the dark thanks to their supernatural vision - on the ground. Her knees on the black scorched surface of the dome's center and her back bent as her head faced down and she, the legendary inventor and adult woman, pounded her fists on the ground continuously like a child throwing tantrum for losing her toys. To make it worse, Holmes was rubbing her back gently in comfort, sympathy, and awkwardness like a parent supporting their child.

She wasn't the only one.

"SO MANY DAMAGES! SO MANY DEBTS TO PAY! BECAUSE OF THEM, MY RETIREMENT HAS BEEN DELAYED! GOODBYE TO MY SUMMER VACATION! WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME!? WHY!? WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Goldolf Musik, the Director of Chaldea and elderly man, did the same actions as Caster did, only looking like a chubby kid going temperamental for losing all of his candies. Behind him was Harry Anderson, facepalming like an older brother embarrassed from his younger brother's annoying, crying antics.

And all of it was recorded by Ida's smartphone, who was grinning like a fool while at her side was Akara shaking his head in disappointment, but not surprised none the less.

"...I did warn her that I made no promises." Koragg deadpanned at this pitiful scene before him and his now official Masters.

Said Masters sweat dropped, felt genuinely sorry for them "...I guessed we should of have warned the director also." Ryoko added as both girls weakly laughed.

But their mother's mood was the opposite.

"Crybabies." Joan scoffed before calling out the audience. "Can someone please give these two sorry asses binkies to shut the hell up!? Their crying is starting to hurt my eardrums now!" Several Servants, especially those who have extra ears of animal traits, nodded in agreement.

In the crowd, a female Servant, which Koragg guessing she's a Saber since she possessed a long sword in sheath, unashamedly pulled out two pacifiers out of nowhere as her face expressed great determination like a mother coming for her children's aid. "Don't worry, Mama Raikou is coming~!" She proclaimed in a sing-along voice as she jogged towards them, her huge mammaries bouncing all the way in the process.

"..." Koragg just stared before looking at Ritsuka, who in the first time he saw him looked so sheepish and embarrassed as he made a weak smile directed at the quiet dark knight.

"Berserkers, am I right? Hehe…" The human only received was silence, unknowingly he had proven the Knight Wolf wrong about the voluptuous woman being Saber to the Morlock's chagrin. "This happened here. _A LOT_. Welcome to Chaldea, because you will get used to the crazy and chaotic things such as what you're witnessing. Hope you enjoy your stay, Koragg the Knight Wolf!"

"..." Hidden behind his helmet, Koragg continued to stare, unamused, before looking up at the ceiling. A new single question popped up his mind.

_What in the Master's name did I get myself into?_

Then he heard two, wailing voices screaming in unison.

"GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

For the first time ever in his entire existence, though minimal, Koragg starting to have regrets - accepting to be Alaya's Counter Guardian...and later be at the mercy of Chaldea's disorder and insanity.

And Koragg knew she was still watching him, no doubt giggling at his current predicament. He is now certain that Alaya planned this from the start. She got what she wanted after all.

She caught him in an embarrassing situation.

_Curse you, Alaya._

* * *

**Apologizes if the chapter felt a bit too long in comparison to the others. There was just a lot I wanted to get down this time around. I thought about splinting the fight up into two parts, but I really wanted to get to the main story so I decided to just give you all the full fight and aftermath as a cool down. As some of you can probably imagine, Da Vinci's not going to be a happy inventor for the next couple of chapters…and Koragg may have been added to someone else's shit-list. **

**This chapter had a lot of foreign names and words that I should probably translate some of them, especially since some of them tie into the story and serve as foreshadowing for future events. **

**Katri is a Finnish name that means "pure". As you can probably guess, she's distantly related to Luvia in terms of ancestor and descendant. A little reminder that this story takes places around 2040, long enough for certain characters from the original Fate series and so forth to have had children like Ritsuka. **

"**Allah yakhthek" is an Arabic curse that basically translates into, "May God take your soul", in other words, drop dead. Quite a lovely thing to say to someone whose guts you hate and vice versa. Also, **_**"schwein" **_**is German for swine, pig, or in some cases, bastard. **

**The name of Olympius' (apparent) Master, Ebner Rotfeld is German. Ebner is a German form of the Hebrew "Abner", meaning "father of light". His last name translates into "red field". Quite fitting for a man (seemingly) in control for a fire demon with draconic features, huh?**

**Durin, I won't lie…comes from dwarves of the Lord of the Rings franchise. For Helena and Ryoko's dragons and familiars, there's going to be a literature theme regarding them. (*cough* Shakespeare). **

**Helena's sword, Feucoeur, translates into "fire heart". It follows in line with Helena's name, which in Latin translates into "torch". The sword can assume a few different abilities related to fire and its various forms. Eternelle is the French feminine form of "eternal" while noir is French for "black". **

**Next chapter, I will not lie…will feature the first clash between Chaldea and the antagonists of this story as this chapter set the stage for it. Will it be loud and explosive? Oh, hell yes! Will it cause a scene? Yes. Will it leave the Magus Association wanting to bury Chaldea beneath the ice of the Antarctic and be rid of them forever? Most likely. Now that you've got that little hint, let me know what your thoughts of next chapter and until then!**


	7. Chapter 6-Little Trouble, Big Apple Pt1

**Getting this chapter out took a bit longer than I would have liked so sorry about that, everyone. Quick recap, last chapter the Fujimaru Sisters fought Chaldea's newest resident to a some-what draw, earned his respect thus allowing him to officially become their Servant. Oh, and shaved a couple more years off of a round-bodied director and sent the organization's resident super-genius into a despair-fueled breakdown. Both were attempted consoling by Mama Raiko to questionable success. **

**This chapter the story well and official starts as after all the build-up, it's time for this story's Grail War to have its first big clash! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 6 - Little Trouble in the Big Apple Pt.1**_

* * *

_**New York City, United States, 12:48 AM…**_

Marcus "Marco" Kingsley both loved and hated his job as a security guard. It wasn't like he'd originally intended to go into security, but life has a strange way of taking one off their planned course and redirecting them elsewhere. Growing up, he'd had a very loose dream of attaining the rank of admiral in the Navy, commanding an entire fleet of his own in the name of defending his country and its ideals. Such lofty ambitions came to people like him…but rarely were they ever achieved. Still, Marco was proud of what achievements he had made in his twenty-two year-long career in the United States Navy. It had been far from a waste. Even his time doing nothing but washing floors and performing bear maintenance duty now seemed preferable to his boring guard patrolling of the UN Headquarters.

How he'd ended up running security had been a funny story, one he'd often laughed and joked about with his fellow guards. They all had come from somewhat varied walks of life: some were ex-military like him, some were law enforcement, and others had just trained for the job and through sheer hard-work gotten it. They all knew the vital importance of their patrolling and protection of the UN Headquarters, a building which represented the world's nations coming together and at least trying to talk things out instead of shooting each other to bits. Not that such efforts were always successful, sometimes they failed so hard, one wondered why even bother. But Marco had learned that sometimes, it was the journey and not the destination that mattered.

Still, there were some nights when patrolling the massive thirty-nine story building was just outright dull. Then again, some would have said that's what made the job enjoyable.

Ten years ago, the building had been the target of an insidious terror plot that ended with forty-six people dead, hundreds of others injured, and the world being dragged kicking and screaming toward chaos. Marco had still been in the Navy back then, and that time had been anything but pleasant or soothing. It had been a time when he, like many others, seriously wondered if they were going to meet their end on the frozen shores of Russia, in the jungles of South America, or the hot dusty plains of east Africa. While blood had indeed been shed, it didn't erupt into the bloody world-wide affair everyone had predicted.

That resulted in the slow but always desirable dullness of peace that followed. A peace that found him trading in a constantly moving ship for the massive skyscraper that overlooked the waters of the East River. It was infinitely more tranquil, but like many, he missed the constant pressing the waves, the smell of seawater in his nose, and perhaps most startling, the tight compression that with being inside of a ship. In contrast to a naval destroyer, the UN Headquarters was one massive space after another.

A yawn slipped from the guard's lips as he raised his hand to glance at his watch. Just another half-hour before his shift was over and he could turn in for the night. Perhaps he'd hit up the bars before heading home. During his last trip, he ran into this dashing almond-eyed Hispanic woman who worked at Bellevue Hospital. Maybe Marco was being a bit optimistic, but he was hoping the two of them could strike up a relationship.

Here was hoping that he was able to stay awake long enough to hold a conversation with her.

The former Navy Seal's thoughts were brought to a halt as the com-link in his ear buzzed in and out, mixed chatter coming through from the other end. "Huh? Hey, Wilson? Is that you? Sasha? Hey? What's going-"

"_AAAAAHHHHHH!" _

He'd been through enough to know what death screams sounded like. They never sounded pleasant, especially when they were coming from people he knew. His latent combat instincts roared to life, his whole body tensing and his hand going to his sidearm. Something was coming, something bad.

It wasn't just something in his gut, it was something he could actually feel in the air as well. The air itself seemed to transform from pleasant to icy, then it changed again. One minute, Marco felt perfectly comfortable in his uniform, and the next he was practically cooking in it. Sweat rapidly formed on his brow and on his palms while the strength in his legs began to vanish. The whole sensation was unlike anything he'd ever felt, not even when he's seen active combat had dread like this washed over him.

_What the hell…what the hell is this?! Did someone sneak a bomb or some shit into the building?! _Desperately, he called into his com-link, demanding a response from his fellow guards, his superiors, anyone really. What he got was scattered static…and more screams.

Making it out was hard, but Marco could hear some concrete words - pleas for help, calls to retreat, and some demanding to know what the hell was going on. Marco felt an ice-cold chill running up his spine in spite of the sudden heat wave cooking the inside of the multi-story building. Something was in the skyscraper with him and his fellow guards, something dangerous. He knew it wasn't human as during his time in the Navy, he'd faced inhuman enemies - genetically altered beasts created for no other reason than to kill. AI-driven combat machines that could gun down countless people in the blink of an eye and not feel a thing regarding regret or horror. Something like that had someone infiltrated the UN headquarters.

And it was now killing him and his associates.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Whispered the brown-haired man, hoisting his pistol and searching his surroundings for any sign of the unusual. Every honed instinct in his body told him that something was coming, something bad. The problem was finding out from which direction it was going to come from.

The answer came from his six o'clock. And it came with a bang. Throwing his arms up, the first thing his mind jumped to was a grenade blast or some sort of bomb. His body was thrown sideways, his left shoulder hitting the floor while desks, chairs, and furniture was blown about around him. Marco heard a clear ringing in his ears. Old memories clawed their way to the forefront of his mind; instead of hindering him, they actually aided him. His body fell into autopilot, moving on its own to keep him alive. Coming up in a kneeled position with his pistol trained on the source of the explosions, he readied himself to whatever infiltrator that had made it past his fellow guards.

What stared back at him was a monstrous being cloaked in an aura of yellow and orange flames that lit up the room like a giant candle. Ironically, the finer details of the creature were impossible to make out, not that any more were needed.

Marco's eyes twitched and his heart skipped a beat as it dawned on him. What was in front of him wasn't a human-being, not even one wearing something like an exo-suit, nor was it a hologram. It was real. "What the…what the fuck?!"

Through the curtain of flames, a pair of feral eyes glared back at the ex-seal. They were without a doubt the eyes of a monster, an inhuman monstrosity that desired nothing short of his death in the most painful way possible. Something told him that torture wasn't off the menu, quite the opposite. Fear racing through his veins, Marco fired off two shots from his pistol, already knowing what the results would be.

Raw heat melted the projectiles before they can even scratch the head of the monster. Seeing such a thing was all the almond-eyed man needed to know. Quickly, he spun on his heel and ran for the nearby escalator. Gone from his mind were thoughts of trying to continue to contact his fellow guards. If what stood before him was any indication, they were facing down similar threats. And there was a good chance they were no longer of this world. If he didn't act fast, Marco knew he'd be joining them.

He'd made it down three steps before he heard the _pop _followed by the sound of air being cooked and sliced through. One minute, he was standing on solid ground, the next he was flying, propelled by the fiery explosion that blew apart the escalator. Briefly, his mind flashed back to his time in active combat; not exactly a pleasurable experience but one he was reliving none the same. Within seconds, his face and chest hit the tiled ground on the lower floor. Immediately, Marco tasted blood in his lips; he didn't dwell on it. Still hazy-eyed, he got to his feet and began to run, or at least wobble while his legs built up the strength needed to break into a full-out run.

In the end, it amounted to less than nothing as something large and powerful cracked the ground in front of him. Cursing, he raised his pistol and started firing. It was a futile effort, but the logical side of his brain had been overwritten by fear and adrenaline. His breath catching in his throat, he watched the bullets melt against the flame coating as the creature advanced on him. Marco took several steps back, his uniform feeling like it was going to burst into flames and roast him alive any second. Something told him that would have been a preferable way to go compared to whatever the flame monster had in store for him.

Unfortunately, he got a taste as a sudden fist drove its way into his gut. Never had he taken a harder punch in his life, not from cartel members, insurgents, or violent ultra-nationalists, some of whom had been drugged up performance enhancers. He was wheezing for breath that couldn't come fast enough. Compounding the pain came the ruthless backhand smack that sent him sliding across the floor. Now his face hurt just as much as his abdomen. Still, sheer reflex and instinct caused him to attempt to rise in spite of knowing how futile the effort was.

What he got was a brief glimpse at his soon-to-be killer without their aura of fire. What Marco saw made him wish it had the flame coat back on. Looking like something out of a movie or comic book, a humanoid lizard-thing clad in black and red rock-like armor that jetted out in some portions. From a glance, one would have been forgiven for thinking it had crawled up out of some volcanic pit or something of the like; there were no volcanoes or anything of the like anywhere in NYC which further raised the question of where did this strange beast come from. Was it some sort of mutant experiment set loose in the UN headquarters? Marco doubted he'd find out.

Silently uttering a prayer, he closed his eyes and braced for the end, hoping it would be quick and painless.

_**THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! **_

Snapping his eyes open, the former sailor saw shards of rock and scales fly across the floor along with a glowing blood-like substance-scratch that, Marco was sure it was blood. The creature correspondingly howled in pain. It was as unexpected as it was amazing to hear. Marco wiped the blood from his lips and sat upright, his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere as his ears picked up the pounding of footsteps. A stray glance to his left rewarded him with the sight of a blonde-haired woman coming at the downed creature, her left arm extended, and her hand molded into a finger-gun. Red-lined masses of darkness contorted around the tip of her finger before being expelled in the shape of a bullet. Unlike his lead bullets, these did actual damage to the creature.

The greatest blow came when she made physical contact, knocking the lizard-monster down with a tackle that Marco couldn't help but find attractive and praise-worthy. Having gotten the beast onto its backside, the woman followed up her attack with a downward punch. As her fist rose and fell, Marco caught sight of several light green lines running up her arm; her fist left visible cracks in the monster's scaled skin. Heaving a mighty shout of her own, she brought her fist down one final time like a sledgehammer, fragments of bone and rock exploded outward along with a bloody substance that sprayed across the floor. The victory had visibly exhausted the newcomer, but not enough for her to let her guard down.

Marco yelped in shock when her left hand rose, and her finger gun was pointed directly at him. Another black bullet was expunged from her fingertip. Luckily, the bullet flew right past the former seal and hit something directly behind him. Already having an idea, he snapped his head to the side and saw another lizard monster had been coming upon them. It now had a nice-sized hole in its chest before falling backwards. Still awe-struck, he watched the corpse dissolve into a mass of flames, leaving behind nothing but rocky pebbles, like a boulder had been smashed to pieces. Looking back, he saw something similar had happened to the monster that had knocked the wind out of him.

"Listen to me, you have to run! Now!" Shouted the blonde. Now that Marco could get a good look at her, he saw that her eyes were perhaps the most striking shade of emerald green that he'd seen. Also, her accent was British. Briefly, he wondered if she'd worked at the headquarters all along just like him, but they'd never seen each other.

She was on him in seconds, hoisting him to his feet and trying to usher him along. His confusion didn't make things any easier. So close, Marco could finally get a look at her right arm, which she'd not used doing her surprise rescue. It looked like it'd been roasted over a fire, just as well, blood poured from an open cut on the left side of her head and down several other wounds across her body. In contrast to his ruffled uniform, hers had been charred in such a way he knew one of those things had gotten too close to her.

"Could you at least tell me a little of what's going on?!" Shouted back the former Navy Seal, shooting the woman a hard glare. "What the hell were those things?!"

"Murderous beasts that will kill you if you don't move your arse! This isn't the time for-!"

Her words were cut off by a literal wave of fire that cut through the path in front of them. Shrieking backward, the two looked to their right and was horrified to find a trio of approaching lizard monsters, two of them having their rocky bodies alight with burning heat. One glance was all it took to tell them that an encounter with the three would end in nothing but their deaths at best. The horror didn't stop there as their ears heard an ungodly shrieking sound that drew their attention to their six o'clock. Eyes widened as they looked back and saw their situation had just gone from hopeless to now comically.

They dropped from the ceiling as darkened masses that quickly took humanoid shapes. Tiny bat wings fluttered from their backs while a set of blood-red horns protruded from the tops of their heads. Vampiric fangs were bared as they hunched over and hissed at the pair of humans.

"These things…they're not…Dead Apostles," mouthed the woman with her widening eyes slowly became narrowed at the new creatures, calculation moving within her green orbs. "Instead…they look almost like imps."

"Dead what? Imps? What is this, some sort of early Halloween party!?" Barked Marco. Rather fortunately or not, the pain from the previous blows had faded, just in time for him to brace himself for what was no doubt going to be one hell of a brutal death. Either being burnt away by the lizard monsters or seemingly ripped to shreds by the black-bodied pseudo-vampires, some of whom were carrying short swords, daggers, and from the looks of one, a pitch-fork. As if the satanic imagery wasn't completely enough. "So, um, my name's Marco, Marco Kingsley."

For a moment, the tension was broken as the woman looked back at him. "Lacey, my name is Lacey Pettigrew. And welcome to the Moonlit World."

In another second, she'd grabbed him by the hand and was chatting about something. Two things were thrust into his hand: an oval-shaped stone that was glowing a set of folded up papers.

"Moonlit what?"

Lacey paused in her chatting to look at him with something of an almost pitiful smile. It set off all the alarm bells in Marco's gut. "You'll understand…when you call this number. Tell them…tell them that Flag Central is compromised. Can you do that?"

His head was spinning with so many questions that it felt like it was going to explode, and he still painfully nodded his head showing that the order had been received and was going to be carried out. Likely, she knew of the inner turmoil in him as the green-eyed woman known as Lacey give him one final nod, then slammed her hand over the stone.

Marco's entire body lit up like it'd just been shot full of adrenaline, then there came the green flash. A single blink and he found himself falling a short while through air onto solid ground. Cool late summer air kissed his cheek and lips while he sat upward in a groan. One look around and he saw he was no longer indoors, he was outdoors, right by the flag line to be exact. Wide-eyed, he jumped to his feet and surveyed his surroundings just to be sure. Everything looked normal, which was the central prime. Furthering his horror was as he looked back at the multi-storied building he'd spent the last few years working in.

For a split second, it looked normal, but then he saw the wall of red rise up from the ground and cover the entire structure, like some sort of mystical curtain. Then, it was gone, at least from the naked eye.

"What…what the hell…what the hell is this?" Muttered the almond-eyed man. Somehow, he'd been teleported from indoors to the outside, presumably out of harm's way. How such a thing had been done Marco had no idea…other than magic. _"Welcome to the Moonlit world," _the phrase repeated in his head, causing the tension in his body to sudden deflate. "What kind of weird-ass mess have I gotten into this time?" Finally examining his hands, the brown-eyed guard saw that the items were still on his person. The stone had ceased glowing, yet as he held it in his palm, Marco could still feel a near unearthly power emitting from it. Shifting it to the side, he unfolded one of the sheets of paper he'd been handing. Briefly, he glanced upward at the UN headquarters, then he broke off into a controlled sprint in the opposite direction.

Everything he'd seen in the last five minutes made him completely and utterly disregard everything pertaining to protocol and so forth. He needed to get home. He needed to contact whoever was on the other end of the phone number scribbled on the sheet of paper. He needed answers as to what had just happened.

But first and foremost - Marco Kingsley needed a drink.

* * *

_**Chaldea HQ...**_

"Koragg," Started the oldest Fujimaru as the holographic sheet was snatched out of her hands by her cherry-eyed friend. "You are one decked out bastard. Hell, I'd almost call you broken, but apparently your win-loss record breaks even. How the hell did _that _happen?"

A dismissive grunt flew from the nonexistent mouth of the dark warrior. "The opponents I fought were strong, the strongest fighters I have ever faced. That said, I myself have grown more powerful since my last encounter with them. Were we to meet in battle now…would either of you doubt my victory?"

"Well, no, you're pretty badass…plus you have us watching your back!" Answered the long-haired sister, flashing the armored knight a wide grin.

An odd transformation had occurred within the being known as Dark Saber, now identified as Koragg the Knight Wolf. Ever since his arrival, he'd shown himself to be a silent and direct man, a warrior of such dark power everything in his path eventually crumbled away to dust in the face of his might. He walked knowing his power, and he showed little fear or hesitation in boasting of it to would-be challengers; finally, he could back it up extremely well. It all made for one scary combination that made the wolf-themed warrior a rather hard to approach figure.

Up until an hour ago when his name and identity were still shrouded in complete mystery. With the conclusion of the sparring match between him and the Fujimaru Sisters, that mystery had been dispelled. Mostly.

He sat with his hands clapped together, his elbows on his knees and his face as unreadable as the night sky, and not because he was disinterested. Quite the opposite. The "lounge room" as he'd heard it was called, was moderately lit by the number of candles and floating fireballs around the room. Ryoko had told him that when they'd arrived, blackouts weren't exactly uncommon at Chaldea; he found that statement somewhat easy to believe. That said, blackouts caused by excessive power being thrown around was something of a rarity. He and the Fujimaru Sisters had caused that with their battle which had ended going on little over half an hour ago. And Da Vinci and the tech division had yet to restore power to the facility. Helena boasted of such a thing saying it was proof that they'd proven their strength. Quietly, in the back of his mind, Koragg conceded a point to the older sister. In his eyes, the sisters had indeed proven their capability to be his Masters. In doing so, they'd earned the right to peer into his true self.

Except they'd brought along their two friends with them.

Honestly, he didn't quite know what to make Ida Altemose and Akara. They were both around Helena's age and like the sisters, they had been indoctrinated into the world of magecraft and the supernatural. But that was were the similarities began to die down. Ida somewhat resembled Helena in being energetic and up front, but Koragg could sense darkness in the German-Syrian girl's soul. Half of it was anger…and the other half was sadness. She was currently pointing out a number of details on his "Servant sheet" to Akara, whose eyes periodically glanced upward to meet Koragg's sitting form. So far, the boy was something of an oddity.

_He is not human. Not completely. _Even without peeling away the bandages, he'd seen the true form of the Thai teen. He was half-human and half-beast, reptilian. Based on the way the bandages were constricting his power, holding it back, Koragg concluded that he'd been born human, but something had happened. Something…unexpected. In contrast to Ida, he was silent and thoughtful, much like his second Master.

Speaking of his second Master, she was now looking at him with eyes that twinkled with wonder. "You've got a horse…you have a Noble Phantasm fit for a Rider when we summoned you as a Saber." She stated. Flipping the holographic sheet over, she pointed to one of his listed Skills with fire near literally dancing in her eyes. "Multi-Summon, an advanced version of the Double Summon Skill allowing for a Servant to possess attributes of _multiple _Classes instead of just one, or two! I can count on my hands the number of other Servants who'd have access to that Skill! Of them only Tamamo would have it if summoned under the right conditions and Hercules if he were summoned in the middle of Greece! You have it off the bat!"

Sitting upright, the Morlock folded his arms. "I am a highly-advanced warrior, you both can see that."

"I take back what I said, you're actually kind of broken." Interjected Helena, crossing her legs and looking at him with her hands raised. "You can qualify for the Rider Class, Archer on account of your shield, which _somehow _also nets you to the Shielder Class-"

"He's still not as cute as Mash." Chuckled the scythe-wielder, causing the teens to chuckle in amusement. Koragg didn't see what they were getting at.

"And on top of those, you've got Lancer, Berserker _and _Caster as potential Classes!" Exclaimed the oldest girl, holding up her six fingers. "That's the same as Hercules, except whereas he doesn't have the knowledge for magecraft, _you do_! The only base Class you don't qualify for is Assassin!"

A dismissive snort left the knight's nonexistent nose. Immediately, an aura of pride flared up about him, causing the candle flames to sway. "I am a warrior; a knight sworn to fight and destroy anything set before him. Give me a sword and I shall cut down any who stand before me. A bow and arrow if you wish and I will hit the bull's eye a thousand times. A lance and I shall run through the same number of enemies. With my magic, I have laid waste to armies with next to no effort. Rage may cloud one's judgement, but there have been times I too have gone berserk, but I have proven no less fearsome in the thralls of a warrior's madness. Should you choose it…I will bear my shield in defense of what you choose. I will do all of those things." Without warning, the flames changed coloration from orange and yellow to dark purple, casting an eerie glow over the room, one that was felt by all but none more so than the two Dragon Witches. They were the focus of Koragg's glare, a sharpened blade leveled at both of their throats. Naturally, they tensed up. "I will do any of these things should you ask it…but _**I will not violate my code of honor and play the part of some cowardly assassin**_." Though he never physically rose above a shout, the intensity was certainly still there. "Should you attempt to force me to do such, even via Command Seal, I will not just remove your arms from your bodies…I will sever every limb you two possess and ensure your passage into the next world is as painful as possible. Is that clear?"

Noises from all the way at the other end of the hallway could be heard as if they were just a few feet away. None of the four teenagers dared move a muscle for fear of angering the knight; they all knew the Knight Wolf was _**extremely **_capable in backing up every word he just spoke. Ida and Akara nervously looked at their friends, the girls who now had control over this walking mass of dark power. Control they now knew, they had to exercise carefully, lest they lose their lives to it.

Helena and Ryoko silently looked to one another. Between the two of them, no less than four beads of sweat could be seen on their foreheads. Quite a fit.

Then they topped it by responding.

"Gotcha, no dirty work. That just means one of us will have to do it" Finally spoke Ryoko, raising her right hand, fingers tucked in save for her thumb which was sticking upward.

"That, or we leave that kind of stuff to Akara or Yang Qing." Seconded Helena, looking to the former with a lax smile.

"Well, I am the kind with reptile DNA. Snakes, gators, crocs, and pretty much every other slimy thing that hides in the darkness waiting for their prey to walk close by. Kind of my team roll." Amazingly, like the sisters, his voice too was lax, maybe too lax.

"Hey, hey, you're forgetting about me!" Chirped up Ida, throwing an arm around the bandaged the teenager while grinning at the girls. "Now I may not be part reptile like bandage-boy here, but I'm pretty damn competent when it comes to stealth. After all, I did collect a sizable number of magi skulls before you lizard-tamers met me."

"You…" It was probably the first time Koragg had ever addressed to the dark-haired girl directly. Remarkably, she looked at him with a warm smile instead of a frown of fear or worry. "You…are a magus hunter?"

"Yep, and a proud one." Answered the cherry-eyed girl, beating her chest. "Of course, I'm retired as of now. I'd built up something of a reputation that I can say was pretty warranted, heh, though it was going to get me killed. It would have killed me if not for these two." Sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her neck while pointing to the two sisters, who merely looked at her with sly grins.

Koragg was curious about the story behind the relationship, but he chose not to say anything. Not yet. Quietly, he looked over to the sole male member of the group. Much like Ida, he too reacted with calmness instead of fear.

"As you can probably guess, all these bandages have a story behind them, one I'd…like to keep quiet until I'm ready."

"Then I will not ask." Came the knight's immediate response. "What secrets you have are yours, not mine to pry unless they prove a danger to either myself or my Masters."

Smirking, the Thai teen looked at the Fujimaru Sisters. "I like him."

"You all seem…calmer than I would have expected." Stated the sword and shield-user. Further surprisingly, the Servant was in the round of laughter that rose from the four youths. It was…unsettling. "The four of you…you are…used to the ways of magecraft, aren't you?"

"Well we wouldn't be here if we weren't." Sniped the younger Fujimaru. "Pretty much everyone who works here at Chaldea better be prepared for some weird shit happening. We've got loads of stories to tell, some of them may even scare _you_, Koragg." Ryoko finished with a sly smirk.

"I highly doubt that." Defiantly fired back the swordsman.

"Don't be so sure." Grinned the oldest daughter. Koragg found her smile…unnerving. "Here at Chaldea, your perception of 'normal' will be challenged and likely smashed into a million pieces at any possible moment. Speaking of which, what's your definition of 'normal'?"

"I fail to see how that pertains to how we will be working together. Speaking of which, what _is _your reason for summoning me?" Pressed the dark knight.

Again, the sisters looked between each other, their expressions softening. Koragg had learned some of their mannerisms; the look they were having was one when they were debating who was going to speak. Eventually, it seemed to come down to Helena, whose mouth opened for a quick inhalation of air. Before the first word could even be spoken, the lights above them flickered back on. It caught the group of five somewhat by surprise as none of them had been paying much heed to the growing surge of power racing through the walls. Ida whistled.

"Took one-hundred and twenty minutes." She said, raising her fist and pumping it with Helena's. "Not bad."

"Hey, we do our best." Helena jumped to her feet, her arms stretched upward and her face beaming at him. "How about we show you the answer to your question instead of just telling you. Speaking of which, it might help you understand how we were able to go _almost _blow for blow against you."

Silently standing up, he nodded in silent acceptance. "Your moves were refined, and practiced. I…do not believe combat training is something…ordinary people of this world…do."

The sisters openly giggled at the naked nervousness in his voice, as did their female friend while their male one chuckled. If he had brows, they would have narrowed in partial confusion and annoyance.

"Er, Koragg, in case you haven't noticed, we're not ordinary people." Boasted the long-haired sister. "Normal girls can't shoot fire out of their fingertips or swing swords strong enough to cut boulders…or sport hair this good-looking." She added, dramatically flicking her loose ponytail to the side. "And most ordinary people have never been to an alternate world filled with beasts from every mythology on the face of the planet, which is why we summoned you; you're going to help us chart out the place!" With the boldness that some might have mistaken for insanity, the pale blonde grabbed the knight's hand and began tugging him along toward the exit. Said knight didn't seem at all bothered by the sudden act, if anything, he was looking at his joined hand with curiosity.

Rather than for them, the door slid open for another. Standing on the other end stood Mash, her face grave with worry.

Helena and Ryoko picked up the signs instantly. "What happened? Is it mom and dad? Are they-"

"They're fine, Helena." Quietly soothed the Shielder. Immediately, the building tension in the girls deflated-no, it was transferred to their Servant. Frankly, Mash was still terrified of the purple, black, and silver-armored warrior. So was seventy-percent of Chaldea. But, for the moment he seemed an ally to them, or at the very least to her goddaughters. That was good enough for them. Seeing the four teens now assembled before her as well as the knight, Mash sucked in a quick breath. "It's CHALDEAS."

And there it came, the hammer smashing the optimism and joking mood of the lounge room. The expressions on the four teens mirrored those of the knight, even though his true face couldn't be seen.

Within seconds, the group of six were pounding down the hallways, each of their faces grim and set as they'd received the news.

"You're probably wondering what the hell we're talking about why the rush, aren't you?" Began Ryoko, casting a stray glance at her Servant. "CHALDEAS is a-"

"Mechanism you developed in order to oversee the world and observe disturbances in the World's status in both the past and the future. The fact that we are heading to the chamber now in such a state means that something is wrong. Very wrong." Interrupted the dark warrior, causing the younger girl to do raising an eyebrow in surprise. Her surprise dissolve as she too turned her attention forward with everyone else.

All manners of commotion were going on around them as they rushed down the hallway. The closer they got, the more the feeling of dread inside of them began to grow. It finally reached its peak as they passed through the secured door into the massive chamber that contained one of the organization's most prized achievements.

More than five decades had passed since the creation of CHALDEAS, the device which used a portion of the World's soul to replicate a copy of the world in all of its physical and metaphysical glory. Helena and Ryoko were still toddlers when they first laid eyes on the humming blue globe. Both of them had tried in vain to reach out and touch it. It had been a cute sight, even their mother giggling as their tiny hands stretched out trying to touch it; even at such a young age, they could feel something, an instinctive attraction to the projection. Time passed and they grew older, they grew wiser, yet the urge to touch the globe never exactly waned in them.

The bright blue and white globe that had captivated their attention years ago was…off.

What struck the sisters the most were the red spots and lines that were fading in and out across the replicant Earth. That was the first sign that something was horribly wrong, light blue and red did not go together. Trouble was the only word that could have come to mind in seeing the two mix. Such a labeling was further hammered home in seeing the number of technicians and workers around the lower platform. Not one person was smiling, in fact, some seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack. Not among them was Ritsuka Fujimaru, whose face was more…lax.

For those who knew the story of Ritsuka Fujimaru, they knew that he was no stranger to "weird events" happening around him. Not even after completing the Grand Orders and saving human history had that changed. Once one had been introduced to the Moonlit World, it was hard to leave; one could argue that death was the only exit, but even that isn't permanent. Death was another thing that he'd become uncomfortable close with. Bitterly, he'd accepted that the reaper would be walking with him, sending him little notices.

There wasn't anything little about this one.

Not in the slightest.

Looking back, he did his best to give his approaching children a smile. It was one they knew all too well. "Sorry, girls, but it looks like our trip to the Reverse Side of the World is going to have to be postponed."

"Yeah, dad, we can see that." Muttered Helena. "Sooo…what's the crisis? Looks like the world's got a fever or something."

"Roughly speaking, that's what it is." Came an alarmed female voice that caught the Fujimarus' attention. Looking to their left, they were met with an Indian woman with flowing inky-like hair that looped around her ears, on top of a set of silver-crusted hoop-earrings that hang from the bottom of her ears. Atop her forehead sat a glistening ruby-colored gem. It lined up rather well with her eyes, which themselves resembled a moss green. They were burning with a mixture of mounting horror and frustration. "What's happening now…something is intruding on the World, something _rotten_! We're trying to pin-point it, but all of our instruments keep on going haywire as soon as we do it!"

Ryoko didn't like hearing that. "When you say something foreign…you're…not referring to something like an Outer God or something like that, or you?"

"Or, I don't know, an out and out alien? Huh, Alka?" Mused the older sister.

The Indian woman gave the sword-wielder a dismissive snort before turning back to the artificial world, or she would have had her attention not been caught by something else. Or rather, someone else. At once, all the humans froze and backed away as Koragg walked up to the projected globe, his aura, not just his expression, unreadable. Only Ritsuka, his daughters, and Ida and Akara seemed at peace with the man as he casually examined the pulsating sphere. His right hand reached out. Several mouths opened ready to tell him that touching the projection was akin to committing suicide, only to be silenced either by their self-preservation or their colleagues. Whatever the newcomer was going to do, he had free reign to do it.

Dark magical energy outlined the Servant's hand. CHALDEAS immediately responded, the high-density Spiritrons rearranging themselves as they came under the thrall of the foreign man. The red lines remained, thickening and sending information back to Koragg who clarified things for his Masters and his new associates.

"What is spreading is **Chaos Magic**, a…sibling counterpart to my own magic. In fact, I sense dark magic itself beginning to crop up. How-"

"WHAAAAT?!"

Ignoring the dropped jaws and widened eyes, the knight continued. "I can see it; the World is being…infected. Hm, yes. The ones doing this cannot be human, at least not ordinary humans. They are magi-no, perhaps full-fledged sorcerers like those of my world. How peculiar, but also how interesting." Stated the Saber-class Servant as if nothing were wrong. It was a sharp contrast to those around him.

"S-S-Stop! P-P-Please, r-r-rewind for a moment!" Screamed one of the chiefs of Chaldea's engineering division, Alka Mhasalkar throwing her hands up in a panic. "W-W-W-What d-d-do you m-m-m-mean c-c-chaos m-ma-magic?! A-A-And what do you mean magic like-!?"

"So there's someone else like you, someone that can use dark magic, right?" Fired off Ritsuka, looking firm and resolute in the face of the bad news. He was practically the only one keeping a straight face.

Koragg respected that, and he showed it in turning to address the veteran Master with his full attention while still keeping his hand out. "Yes, though how I'm not quite sure. What I can tell you is that unlike my magic which is permitted by Alaya, this magic is not. If anything, I can feel it forcing its way in, like an intruder. Of note, I know where it is being concentrated, or perhaps spreading from. Here." As the knight curled his fingers, the shape of the globe changed - it magnified. What the assembled group was looking at was no longer a perfect representation of the world but a bird's eye view of a spiraling city. The blue imagery was tinged with red which continued to pulsate like a throbbing sore.

"That's"- Began Akara with eyes wide, alarmed.

"New York City." Helena finished, looking to her dad. "Looks like we're not going to get to test it out, are we?"

"No, no, we're not." Answered her father, lightly ruffling her hair causing her to giggle. All around them it seemed they'd just found out the world was about to fall apart, yet here stood her father looking as calm and collected as could be. Such a thing had likely lost most of its effects on the patriarch of the Fujimaru household as he'd tangled with such stacks before. "Koragg, if you don't mind, it's looking like we're going to be heading to the U.S. Have you ever been there before?"

Though none could see his eyes, it was evident that the Saber had just blinked. "Yes, though I have heard of this New York City, I have never been there." His gaze turned back to Helena and Ryoko, both of whom were smiling at him. "But if this place is where my Masters wish to go, then I shall follow them."

"That's good to hear, because it's looking like we're heading into the shit, again!" Echoing through the massive chamber was the snappy voice of the Fujimaru Family matriarch. All at once, eyes turned back to the entrance to find Joan standing at the head of a group. The frown on her face wasn't her usually dismissive sneer, it was deadly serious, just like that of her husband's. Beside her stood a sullen Saber Artoria, her gaze briefly meeting Ritsuka's. Immediately, the architect's stomach dropped as he knew things had just gotten worse.

Stepping forward was Goldolf, his face grim and set as the Fujimaru Sisters stood before him. At first glance, one would have been forgiven for expecting some snappy words or remarks from either girls. Such a thing wasn't uncommon as like a few others, they did enjoy poking fun at the blonde-mustached director. But they also saw him as a valuable friend and someone to respect and follow, right after their parents of course. Standing up as straight as possible, Goldolf looked at the pair in the eye before finally turning to face their Servant. He was still scared shitless of the dark knight, but he had a job to do. _They _had a job to do.

"Helena, Ryoko, Dark Saber, you all will be leaving for the United States in three hours to investigate the source of disturbance as well as our loss of contact with the United Nations headquarters. You are authorized to use lethal force on anything that proves a life-endangering threat to either your mission, yourselves, or any members of the team."

The die had been cast.

Less than an hour later and the whole of the Fujimaru Family was packed up, and on a flight bound for North America. Alongside them was Chaldea's latest resident, having proclaimed his loyalty to the organization's two "little hellions". Following after them were the hellions' closest friends, also packed and ready.

It wasn't until the plane had left the runway and was climbing high into the sky did several breath sighs of relief. They hoped that Dark Saber would be out for a while and when he returned, he'd be somewhat more…approachable on account of spending time with the Fujimaru Family.

One particular person who'd heard of his departure hoped he didn't return at all.

* * *

_**July 16**__**th**_

_**East Coast United States, 5:40 PM…**_

"So, you're…always like that, huh?" Helena asked, somewhat nervously.

"This is my true form, yes."

Honestly, the answer they got was the answer both sisters had been expecting. They knew for a fact that the Servant they summoned was inhuman, something that was perhaps an enemy of man. Reading over his stats, their suspicions had been confirmed, and then some. All that said, Koragg was remarkably well-behaved for a demon, or as he told them his race were called - Morlocks. They chalked that up to the fact that from what they'd seen, he was a knight first and a demon second. Helena and Ryoko could respect that.

The problem was, being a knight, he was unfailing straightforward and blunt.

Those things would make taking him into a populated area somewhat difficult.

"You have magic, so can't you just conjure up a disguise or something?" Ryoko pressed, crossing her arms.

"I see no reason to hide myself. Besides, it's not as if I'm going to be mingling with the crowds that supposedly roam this…super city as they call it. I will be out of sight and out of mind until my presence is requested." Responded the knight.

"But what about interaction?"

"I am a knight." He growled. "Not a…statue to be gawked at or paraded about for your convenience."

"Nope, but we do wanna get to know you, and it'd help if we could visualize you…out of armor. Besides," A wicked glint shined in the eyes of the sword-wielding sister. Koragg instinctively felt his body tense up. "Your Masters are two daughters of a first-class fashion designer. Surely you can see where this is going, can't you?"

"…I cannot." Her face broke for his blank response.

"What? Come on, seriously?!" Helena shouted almost in a groaning manner.

"I have no idea what a 'fashion designer' is so your statement is null and void to me." Stoically replied the armored knight.

"It's right in the title! It's someone who designs fashion!"

"I have no interest in such trivial matters." Arrogantly rebuked the Knight Wolf. "I am a warrior, quality of weaponry and armor, techniques and tactics, those are my areas of expertise. So long as one is not indecent, I could care less what they wear."

Unexpectedly, his words set off the powder keg that was the younger sister. "So, what you're saying is you don't care what the outfit is so long as it's…combat efficient?" Ryoko tested.

Snapping his head to her, the knight leaded forward, an act that a day ago would have deeply unnerved the younger Dragon Witch. Now, she leaned forward as well, meeting his sharp gaze.

"I am a warrior, not some doll for you two dress up!" Barked the knight in a booming voice that rolled across the plane. In contrast to before, few shivered at it, likely because alongside it they heard familiar snickering from a pair of superhuman teenage girls.

"Relax! It's not like we're gonna put you in makeup or some shit like that! Geez, have a sense of humor!" Defended Helena, completely disregarding the burning glare that her Servant was shooting her. "I got it, I got it, you're a hard-ass knight so a sense of humor is one of those things that you never honed. Lucky for you, you've now got us!"

"So far," growled the Knight Wolf. "All either of you have managed to give me, is a headache. One that can only be-!" Quick as lightning, the Counter Guardian bolted upright, his posture rigid and his attention directed toward the window. Beyond the glass lay an expanse of clouds while below stretched the Atlantic Ocean. In just a few short minutes, they'd start to see land and boats serving as an indicator of civilization. Apparently, Koragg had sensed something else, something alarming. "Can either of you feel it?"

"Feel what?" Ryoko questioned, getting somewhat worried. "What's up?"

Looking to the two sisters, the knight silently weighed his options. Though they were strong, what he was sensing, what was making his blood _race _was something he didn't want them facing. Not yet. "I will go on ahead and investigate. Please, relay that information to your parents and the others."

"What? Hey, wait a second!" It was too late, he'd already dematerialized and likely left the plane. A second later and Helena's suspicions were confirmed as the pilots sounded out that the knight was now galloping through the air. On an armored black horse apparently. "We summoned a real hell of a Servant, didn't we?" She sighed, looking at her younger sister who'd already unfastened her seatbelt and was standing up.

"Memory acting up? Remember, traveling the Reverse Side of the World meant we were going to need an _ass-kicking _Servant, otherwise mom and dad would never let us go. Speaking of which, we-"

"You're going after him, aren't you?"

Jointly, the two siblings looked back to find their parents staring at them from the middle of the aisle. Though it was the middle of summer, their mother had changed into a dark long coated topped with gray fur. Its role wasn't to keep her warm but instead to protect her, though the protection wasn't exactly needed. Helena and Ryoko had seen their mother be knocked through what amounted to an entire mountain range with enough force that the aftermath resembled an earthquake and get right back up and proceed to beat the ever-living hell out of the creature that had hit her. Their father, on the other hand, was dressed for "business", a dark suit with a light blue untied tie that hung around his neck. Being the more social type, the moment they landed, he was going to have to do some talking to sort things out. He was well aware of that as he sighed and walked over to them.

"Do not do anything stupid until either your mother or I get there, understand?" He began.

Grinning like Cheshire cats, the girls responded, _"Nous comprenons, papa_!"

"Open the hatch!" Ritsuka called into the intercom, knowing the pilots could hear him and were probably groaning.

"You spoil them too much." Whispered the former Avenger.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. Besides, better I give them this talk because I actually mean it. One more thing, you two, watch out for that bucket head! He's your Servant now so whatever mess he gets into is on you two!" Ritsuka then grinned at his daughters. "Take it from someone with experience."

Giving their parents a quick hug, one their mother lightly protested against, the girls raced down the aisle as fast as they could. It took a string of caution not to full on sprint and blow apart the inside of the plane in their hurry to reach the cargo hatch that lay at the bottom. Of course, Ida and Akara were waiting for them once they got there; their faces showed they already knew what they were planning and were in agreement with it. Ida fist-pumped the two girls stepping by while Akara merely nodded at the two. Right after them, he was going next.

"See you girls on the ground." He offered, following after Ida then stepping back as the cargo hatch began to open.

The Dragon Witches were out the plane and free-falling in open air before the hatch had finished opening. Wind whipped at their faces, sending their hair spraying outward. Warm evening air entered their lungs through their noses as the girls inhaled then spread their arms out in front of them. Reaching into their respective minds, they unsealed the lock on the mystical door that only they could access.

Less than a quarter mile out from the shores of the City that Never Sleeps, a pair of draconic roars shook the skies. Seconds later, moving through the clouds were a pair of massive flying reptiles, dragons, creatures of myth and legend. Carrying the oldest sister was a black-scaled beast with a dark vintage complete with a pair of burning red eyes. Said eyes stared dead ahead and caught sight of the glistening shoreline of the urban expanse; he fittingly let out a roar of excitement and hurried on ahead, leaving his orange and red-scaled counterpart to tail behind him. The mount of the younger sister didn't mind, he enjoyed the leisure flight. At least until he picked up the scent.

"That Dark Saber fellow…he's quite an addition to the team." Mused the single-horned dragon with an audible chuckle.

Josse grunted. "Bah! One shot from me and I'm sure he'll be nothing but a molten pile of slag." A round of laughter burst from the other three, causing the red-eyed dragon to grunt in annoyance. The humor died as all together they focused their attention on the sight before them - the city of New York. From what the dragons could feel, an aura of darkness had descended upon the city, and the source was not the dark warrior who'd sped along ahead of them. "Heads up, he's on the trail…and we're on his."

Just like in Tokyo, the populace of New York was blind to the two Phantasmal Beasts soaring through the skyscrapers. The cloaking witchcraft the two sisters employed to shield their dragons and themselves was holding just fine. It was a blessing as the second they entered the area, they finally felt it - the unmistakable _pressure _that made their hair stand up on end and their muscles instinctively tightened. In their hearts, they knew once they found their Servant, the tension would explode; when it did, they'd be ready.

"I got him," Proclaimed Labrouste, banking right with Josse following suit. The girls looked to one another and readied themselves.

Ryoko recognized the skyscraper as belonging to Halstein Robotics, one of the top ten leading robotics companies in the world. She grimaced at the realization that she and her sister and her Servant were about to create one massive headache for Chaldea and its PR department.

Somewhat surprisingly, the rooftop was still intact when they arrived. Standing on one end of hexagon-shaped roof was their Saber, his posture rigid and ready for battle. Leaping from the backs of their dragons, the sisters joined him.

It was hard to make out anything regarding the cloaked figure that stood across from him. Other than the fact that he was trouble. "So, Saber, are you going to introduce us to your little friend? You guys did the courtesy of waiting until we got here, how gentlemanly of you."

Dark and mocking laughter slipped from the darkness behind the hood. It sounded...deep with a metallic tone, demonic. Most of all, it told the girls one thing - their soon-to-be-foe was male, and thought very little of them. They were going to enjoy correcting such notions. "I just thought it'd be best that this traitor's defeat have an audience. No, I simply wanted all three of you here together! A race traitor and two worms who play with power they have no right to wield! Now that you're all here, we can finally begin!" A pair of bloody-red eyes stared back at the girls seconds before they felt it - raw demonic power that could only have belonged to one type of lifeform.

The three summoned their weapons on reflex, their eyes deadly serious and focused. A rebuttal built up in Helena's mouth only to die as her eyes drank in the details of the figure, whose cloak burned away in a shower of flames.

It caught the girls off-guard, but not to the knight. Cackling like a madman, the red-scaled humanoid dragon twirled his spear about, the light reflecting from the setting sun behind him. Light was fading and darkness was quickly consuming the horizon, pockets of light from the cityscape. Jetting out were two bat-like red-scaled wings whose membranes eerily glowed gold, the same color that accented the dragon-man's body.

"I am **Lancer of Hell**, and on behalf of the **Anjhat Angra**, I hereby declare war upon you, Chaldea!" Thundered the now revealed Servant with malicious glee in his completely green eyes.

_**Boom! **_

Helena and Ryoko saw it happen, though even their eyes had slight trouble keeping track of what had happened. Rather than wait, Koragg had rushed forward, his sword drawn and already swinging at demon's own spear. Expectedly, the collision between the two weapons shook the air and the building they were battling on. Thousands upon thousands of glass windows shattered, not just on the building but those nearby, so great was the clash of powers. Though the ringing resounded in their ears, neither of the two girls let it stop them. What the ringing did was light the fire in their souls. The she-warriors within them had awoken, and to their dark joy, the deed had been done by a worthy opponent.

A second later and the two superhuman girls were on either side of Lancer, their respective weapons pulled back, Helena's sword and Ryoko's flagpole shaped into scythe. Together, they came down, only being stopped by the sudden emergence of the demon's wings, which themselves seemed to be buckling under the pressure.

"You'd do well not to underestimate my Masters, Prince of Demons." Sniped the Knight Wolf with audible amusement in his voice.

Sneering in disgust, the winged Servant released an aura of pulsating demonic power that pushed the three back, if only for a few feet. All of them put their guard up as the two-sided spear that served as the invader's Class-qualifier was spun about in a three-sixty spin, hot-red flames trailing the tips. Through the flames, Ryoko caught sight of the demon's blooming smile. Watching the flames and feeling the surge of energy, Helena concluded what his goal was.

"Not happening!" She shouted, moving upon the spear-wielding draconic-demon in the blink of an eye. Parallel to her was Koragg, his sword rising in an upward swing that would have bisected a lesser opponent.

Lancer of Hell quickly proved he was no lesser opponent. Realizing his game had been made, he moved for Koragg first, deflecting his blow short but fierce swing then jerking his lance around to parry Helena's broadsword. He silently remarked that the girl was indeed built strong as a normal human's arm would have gone flying after seconds later. Instead, the girl rebounded and slashed at the demon alongside her Servant. Acting quickly, he flew upwards, leaving behind a trail of embers in his wake.

"Say goodbye to your head." Came the cold voice of the younger witch above him. Her flames had shaped her flagpole into massive mallet that she brought down with gusto atop the ascending Lancer.

Ryoko didn't scream or cry in alarm as she watched her flames get devoured by the enemy Servant. In truth, she'd been expecting it.

Once he'd finished inhaling the tasty treat, Lancer of Hell grinned devilish at the human girl and angled his spear at with the intent of running her through the skull.

Violet light flashed behind Ryoko just as she managed to shoot off one quick smirk before vanishing. In her place came Dark Saber, his sword pulled back and humming with magical power. Instead of turning back, Lancer of Hell continued to grin and press on, the tip of his demonic spear meeting the edge of Koragg's unholy/holy sword. Again, the air exploded, but this time the shock wave was spread out due to not being on solid ground.

The sisters were ready to make their next move, but their senses alerted them to two distinctive threats. Snapping their attention to the edge of the rooftop, they saw them - two cloaked figures holding out their hands. Their mouths were moving in what the girls knew to be spell incantations.

_**THUNK! **_

"GAH!"

"WH-WHA?!"

Blood spewed from bodies into open air, where it'd no doubt hit the pavement down below. The owners of the blood used their last moments to glare at the pale blonde-haired girls who'd just ended their lives. Both of them looked at their slain foes with cold fury.

"You said this was a declaration of war." Began Ryoko, pulling her flagpole out, the sharpened tip red with fresh blood.

"Then let's go, ass-wipes!" Finished Helena, mentally setting fire to the magus that had been seconds away from firing on her.

No sooner had the life left the two men did the girls hear the screech. Not one voice but multiple voices, a hoard of murderous chirps and howls that had them back on guard. Their mouths fitting dropped, and their eyes widened as the top floor windows of the buildings around them exploded in pouring black masses. They could hear wings beating against the air, their eyes narrowed and saw the tiny bat-like wings that were carrying hundreds of black masses through the sky. It was just around them, the ground beneath them began to shake as well. All around the sisters, the dark masses began to conjure and twist in the air like shadowy tentacles. Poking through them were a number of yellow and red eyes that made the girls' gnash their teeth in annoyance.

Koragg had returned to the ground and was now looking at the dark swarm with distaste readable on his face. "Batlings, as expected of Bansheera's offspring."

At his side, the Fujimaru Sisters lit their respective weapons ablaze. "Sounds like you know Mr. Scalebags up there and his friends." Began Helena, rolling her shoulders. "Interested in telling us what we're up against?"

"His name is **Olympius**, son of Queen Bansheera, the Queen of Demons; he is from my world." Answered the Saber-Class Servant. "Be on guard, he is arrogant, but a capable fighter. These creatures are called **Batlings**, the underlings of his family."

"Underlings, huh? Then I guess we'll have to take them on while you deal with him." Said Ryoko, causing the knight to look at the younger sister with a surprised aura. "Show us what you've got, Koragg."

Helena beat her fist against the side of his shield arm. "Just save a little of him for us, these overgrown rodents won't take too long for us to deal with!"

Looking back and forth between the sisters, Koragg felt something odd swelling up within his chest. It was hard to describe…but he didn't dislike it. It felt…warm, comforting, motivating. Letting the flow through him, the Morlock found himself laughing as he directed his gaze toward his opponent, who maintained a space in the air above him. His chuckling didn't go unnoticed.

"What's so funny, traitor?!" Barked the red-scaled draconic demon, eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Only these," began Koragg, an aura of black and violet swirling around him in contrast to the flaming mantles worn by his Masters. "En guard, Lancer of Hell!"

In unison that could only come from perfect synchronization, the three fighters, two witches and a knight, broke off in separate directions, their fighting spirits burning hot as the sun dipped below the horizon ending the day…and allowing night to begin.

The gong had been sounded and the first clash had begun, war was now upon Gaia.

* * *

**Getting this chapter out took a tad bit longer due to some real-world complications. Still, it feels somewhat bittersweet writing this story as it's going to go through the entire summer in-story…while summer comes to an end here in the real world. Just something I tend to notice from to time that sometimes affects my writing I thought I'd share with you all. **

**Gave you all a little sneak peek of what Koragg's stats are, didn't I? Well you're all going to have to wait another chapter or so to see them for yourselves. Originally, I was going to have Helena read them aloud during the flight to NYC, but I just couldn't fit it in while trying to move the story. The Multi-Summon Skill described this chapter is exactly as it was described, a Skill allowing for a Servant to possess abilities from multiple classes, and yes, it is broken as hell. More explanation on it will come later, but I will say that Koragg has it on account of the fact that when Alaya sends him out, it's usually because the situation is THAT bad and requires someone THAT multi-skilled and capable. As this chapter probably clued you in, the conflict in this story will be one such case. And then some. **

**Next chapter you'll see the full battle between Chaldea's newest Saber and the Hell Faction's Lancer. Oh, and some more Servant reveals along with some good-ole action-movie style mayhem! Until then! **


	8. Chapter 7-Little Trouble, Big Apple Pt2

**I would have liked for this chapter to come out as far back as August or first week of September, but hey, life throws you curveballs every now and then. Schoolwork and trips to the hospital will cause you to lose track of time and not be able to write for a while. Sorry about the delay, but again, life throws you some curveballs. As promised, here's the first all-ball brawl between Chaldea and their soon to be revealed enemies!**

**I do not own anything (but damn do I wish that I did)**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 7 - Little Trouble in the Big Apple Pt.2**_

* * *

_**New York City, USA**_

_**6:09 PM…**_

Even with the bright colors of the evening setting in, one could tell that the sky was burning. While few clouds floated through the air, it constantly crackled and exploded with a thunderous burst that did more than just shake the skies, it shattered glass and dented metal. It took a considerable amount of force to dent metal, especially reinforced metal. Such force wasn't just being exerted, it was merely the lowest and weakest of the after-effects borne of the clash of powers.

The flames were far more eye-catching, and that wasn't particularly a good thing. As were the bursts of violet and black-tinted dark energy. Together, the two elements superheated the evening air, melting away metal in some cases while in others caused it to outright explode. Said explosions happened within seconds of each other, showering the ground hundreds of feet below with metal and glass shrapnel, creating a panic for those on the ground. Needless to say, the helpless citizens scrambled for cover, onlookers not even having time to whip out their phones to take videos as they found themselves being pelted by the deadly shrapnel. Cars came to a screeching halt, their drivers and passengers shrieking in horror as they quickly realized their safety was being compromised.

A handful bolted their cars only to find themselves being pelted full force by the deadly rain. Seeing the disastrous results, quite a few chose to remain indoors, even as they felt like whatever vehicle they were in was about to be flattened in a heartbeat.

What stayed their bodies was dread. The primal fear that came with knowing that death was seconds away. They weren't exactly wrong; death was indeed in the air. The only question was when and where it would come from - fire or darkness.

Amidst the explosive booms, one clear-cut sound could be made out - the ringing of steel. For those with better hearing, it came as a hard shock. Their first thought was to believe what was happening was some sort of construct accident involving heavy machinery. That thought was quickly disproven as the sounds of the clashes grew louder and louder and more consecutive. Hand-in-hand with them was the sound of grunting, of shouting, of insults. It sounded almost like two men battling.

Correction, the gender of the creatures at war with one another were male, but they were far from human. Fittingly, they were battling at a level most of humanity couldn't even being to dream of matching, and at that point they were merely feeling each other out.

The knight and dragon moved about at the speed of sound, their bodies being little more than colored blurs accented by their weapons and the resulting explosion brought about by their clash. Those brief moments their feet touched solid ground, a network of spider-web cracks formed around them. They quickly multiplied when the pair's weapons, a sword of darkness and a spear of fire, met mid-collision. Thunderous cracks tore the air while visible shockwaves lashed out in all directions. Flagpoles and holographic projectors that stood atop the skyscrapers were blown away and disabled by the dozen. It made for more shrapnel that beat down on the ground further terrorizing the humans down below.

Sparks flew from what felt like the hundredth clash between the pair, a clash that bore no victory. The demon snarled in half annoyance and half amusement as he took a single step backward, then surged forward with one end of his spear leveled at his opponent. A quick flash of silver and violet and the move was parried, Olympius didn't let that detour him. In fact, it seemed to only motivate him. Grinning like the demon he was, the Lancer launched forth into a rapid-fire succession of thrusts, all of which were blocked with simple flicks of the knight's wrist. It both angered and excited Olympius. "My, my, it seems you might be capable of living up to some of the stories told about you, Knight Wolf! A pity you're wielding your blade for such poor masters!"

_**CLANG!**_

"You'd do well not to underestimate my Masters, Lancer, for they wield the power of dragons." Shot back the Knight Wolf in an icy cold voice. In spite of the rush of adrenaline and excitement racing through his veins, Koragg was outwardly calm, extremely calm. Still behind his black visor, a pair of lights shined with unholy brilliance. "If should they choose to, they could be behind you to their will. That would be quite a sight, wouldn't it?"

Hot red anger flashed in the demonic dragon's eyes, and manifested in the blazing aura that surrounded him. "Silence, you filthy traitor!" Fueled by his rage, power surged through the Dragon Prince, giving him the power to fend off the knight. He raised his double-sided spear, black-tinged flames swirling about the tips. The air seemed to visibly steam and boil as the supernatural flames illuminated the darkening sky like an unholy beacon of light. "Never shall I bow a knee to those pathetic humans as you have done. Now, suffer for your transgressions, Morlock!" His hands moved with such monstrous grace, it was near surreal. The spear made two complete revolutions, firing off four crescent-shaped arcs of black-blazing hellfire. They left black and orange-colored embers in their wake as they soared across the skies toward the sword-and-shield-using knight, who laughed seeing the oncoming attacks.

Raising his own shield, he manifested a glassy purple-colored barrier around him. The flames splashed across it like a bucket of water thrown over a car window. Several cracks appeared in the barrier, causing the Saber to nod in approval. _The flames of hell, just like the girls. Only he likely knows how to wield them on a much greater scale. I will have to be careful with this one, especially since the humans down below could get in our way. _The thought honestly surprised him. While he had given some thought to the humans on the ground, it'd lasted for no more than a few seconds at best. Koragg chalked the surprise concern up to his bond to two humans, albeit greatly empowered, girls who normally would have cared about such things. Wiping the thought away, his mind turned back to the battle, namely his opponent. The red eye of his shield glowed with demonic light while the rest became lit by a blazing purple aura. "Wolf Attack!" All at once, a half dozen phantasmal wolf heads lunged from the shield, their jaws opened and ready to sick into the scaly flesh of the demonic Servant in their sight.

Olympius' face was halfway between a grin and a sneer, annoyance and amusement. The two sides of his spear became alit by hellfire, which left fiery trails in its wake as he twirled the weapon about deflecting the projectile attacks. Fire and darkness quickly consumed the rooftop upon which he stood. The backlash was felt further down as the entire building shook from the top downward, sending those inside into a mad panic. It felt like a cross between an earthquake and a small-scale firebombing. All at once, they began to scramble for the exits. Olympius would have liked to take a moment to enjoy their fear, but he had an enemy to be slain. After deflecting a large wolf head to a nearby building, he dashed toward the Knight Wolf, his spear held back with the flames condensed around the blade, enhancing its already potent cutting power. To his glee, he saw his opponent soaring towards him as well. They were on a perfect collision course with one another.

_**SLISH!**_

A malicious smile spread across the Lancer's face as he felt his spear tear through the armor of his opponent; it only grew as he heard the short but delicious sound of bone breaking. Or perhaps a more accurate term would have been being sliced through. It took no more than an instant and it was over with. Cackling in murderous delight as he turned about raising his spear up, he watched the severed halves of the Knight Wolf float in midair for a split second. Olympius' one regret was that there wasn't an audience around to witness his triumph. Oh well, perhaps one of his Batlings was recording the battle thus he'd have footage of it to show afterwards, though nothing would be able to replicate the real thing.

"Victory is mine, of course!" Cried the demon, bringing his double-sided spear down atop the upper half.

Only to receive a painful surprise when the "enemy" before him turned into a translucent mass of dark energy, at the heart sat a sphere of dark magic that crackled with light purple lightning. Seconds before his spear could touch the duplicate, it exploded outward. The bottom half revealed itself to be something similar and exploded as well. Olympius screamed in rage and agony as he found his entire body paralyzed all the way down to his fingers and toes.

"No, it isn't, Demon Prince. You think too highly of your abilities!" Came the booming voice of the Knight Wolf. He hovered in midair, his sword pulled back and glowing with deep violet light and red embers rolling off of the blade. "Now, know a _fraction_ of my abilities!" Darkalibur was swung, and with it came a red and black-lined purple gash that seemingly split the sky. Gale-force winds tore through the surroundings, had the glass winds not already been broken by the earlier clashes, then they definitely would have been pulverized by the near-visible shock-wave Koragg's attack produced. Olympius howled in pain and rage as he found himself sailing through the sky, crashing into the midsection of a nearby skyscraper. Koragg summoned a magic seal behind his feet that he used to kick himself off. He came in hard and fast, smashing himself shield-first directly into the demonic dragon, launching him further down.

As he found himself in open air, the demon spread his draconic wings, an aura of blazing fire surrounding him as his green eyes glared daggers at the hole he'd made via Koragg's shield bash. Burning with rage, he launched himself through that same hole, screaming in fury in contrast to the silent knight, who readied himself.

_**Boom!**_

Fire and darkness exploded outward in a circular shock-wave that spread throughout the rest of area. Metal bent, melted, and outright disintegrated causing the forty-plus storied building to give out. On the streets, fingers were pointed and mouths gaped in horror as the top half of the might structure began to sink downward, its supports have been destroyed leaving it with no way to support itself.

It mattered not to the two demonic warriors locked in a violent deadlock.

But it did matter to others.

_Koragg! _Boomed the older Dragon Witch in the mind of the Wolf Knight. _I know that you're having fun, but in case you haven't noticed, you're causing one hell of a mess! There are people below you and if you start bringing buildings down, it'll cause a real mess! You have to move the battle someplace else, someplace less populated! _

Mentally grimacing, he replied, _Gah! Fine then! What of you and your sister?! Have you located Olympius' Master? _

_We're working on it! Dammit, these knockoff vampires are a pain in the ass! Look, we'll do our best, but try to move that prick someplace else! Someplace where you'll be able to cut loose and fight it out! _Called back the long-haired platinum blonde. _Oh, and nice shot by the way! _

It came as a shock to him that she'd seen his counterattack. It also surprised him that she was willing to compliment him in spite of her clear anger with his actions.

Just before acting, Koragg reached out with his mind. He saw his twin Masters fighting off the Batlings, holding their own just as they'd done against him. For some reason, seeing that lit a small spark of relief in him though he had no idea why. Pushing the thought aside, he returned his full focus to the battle in front of him. He fended off Olympius by driving his knee into his scaly gut, electing a sharp gasp from demonic Lancer. Flipping his sword into a reverse grip, he unleashed a small portion of Darkalibur's holy and unholy power. The Knight Wolf flew upward, blasting through the floors and ceilings before finally reaching the open air. He continued to soar upward, knowing full well that his opponent would follow him.

One roar of anger and burst of fire later and he was proven correct.

Olympius shouted profanities and insults as he raced after Koragg, quickly gaining on him. Glancing down, he saw flames amassing around the dragon's wings in preparation for an acceleration combined with an upward thrust. It came a moment later; Koragg responded just in time, darted to the side and watching as the arrow-shaped mass off fire barreled upward. He repeated his earlier tactic in forming a magic seal to use as a temporary foothold and propeller. Wind whipped at his armored form while his sword became engulfed in dark magical energy. Koragg shouted his opponent's Class title, drawing his attention. The dragon's reaction speed was an inch slower than it should have been.

Above the skies of downtown Manhattan, the skies exploded with bursts of shadowy light. It was as if the night had reached out and touched the evening sky, staining it with its dark touch. In time, darkness would indeed cover the sky, but not the sort that humanity had become known to. This darkness would bring with beings of unimaginable terror…terror that mankind had long since forgotten. It was about to get a very unwanted reminder.

* * *

_**6:19 PM…**_

"You know, I think I'm starting to hate bats." Growled the oldest of the Fujimaru Sisters, hosting her broadsword atop her shoulders. A single scratch leaked blood down her cheeks. That was the price she'd paid for slaughtering what she believed to be close to one-hundred of the infernal bat-winged creatures her Servant had identified as Batlings. They weren't a threat, at least not to her and her sister. They were just damn _annoying_. "Ryoko, how much longer?"

"Working on it, just give me another second." Replied the younger sister, her palms clapped together and a ring of mystical glyphs floating around her. "I'd say we're going to be lighting up the night sky, but there's still some daylight. Kind of sucks to be honest." While they were both adept at witchcraft, it could be said that Ryoko had a slight edge over her sister. At least when it comes to "traditional" means of witchcraft and sorcery. Perhaps it came from the fact that her weapon of choice were polearms, a close cousin of the magician's staff used by sorcerers and magic-users in the distant past. There were times that edge came in handy, such as now. Around her set a number of flags, their flames waving about in the evening wind while red and orange energy raced up on their metallic poles and gathered in the center, forming a massive sun-like sphere. Dotted the sphere were countless struggling black bodies, all of whom were emitting nonstop chirping sounds.

They were the death cries of the Batlings who found themselves helpless against the witchcraft employed by the fourteen-year-old. Their struggles were all in vain as the gravitational pull of the fireball was like that of the sun which it mimicked. Against such force, their tiny wings were about as good as a snow coat in the desert. All they could do was scream and struggle in futility as their bodies were incinerated within seconds, their dark lifeforce absorbed to be used by the youngest member of the Fujimaru Family. She was fully aware of the short lecture she'd given to their Servant involving collateral damage and how they were making a scene. Normally, she was the one who'd be handing out speeches like that, but this was one of those rare times when she wasn't. Even more, she was about to indulge in a bit of unwarranted destruction, something that was usually Helena's domain. Not that Ryoko couldn't work it herself.

Meanwhile, Helena herself was dispatching those demonic flunkies that remained, the hooded humans that fought alongside them. Watching her, one could tell see that Helena Fujimaru was not a normal girl. Normal girls were not able to wield a sword with such proficiency it was unreal, and use those skills to effortlessly cleave through men and women with a growing smile on her face. It was the smile that most would have found unnerving and even flat out horrifying. Usually, such behavior was an indicator there was something deeply wrong with the individual in question. Helena wouldn't argue in favor of her mental state if pressed. She was her mother's daughter, and her mother, while flesh and blood like any other mortal, she was _still _the Dragon Witch of Orleans. She was still a child that had been born into the Moonlight World, a world that regarded her and her sister as both creatures of awe and terror. Those two things had lead to attempts on the sisters' lives when they could just barely talk, let alone fight.

Helena had fought to protect herself and her baby-sister. She'd killed, and from there, she'd embarked down the road of the warrior. It wasn't without its scars, but it was a road she was proud to travel upon as her parents had. For that reason, she could kill without hesitation.

Monsters. Humans. It made no difference; if they stood before her with wicked intentions, then there was no reason to hold back.

She cut them down. She burnt them to ashes. She smashed their bones to pieces. She did all those things with a growing smile on her face as the inner beast within her awoke and roared in gratification at the chance to cut loose.

The older Dragon Witch wasn't the only one letting her inner bloodlust out.

Sensing it, she spun to her right, bringing her sword up just in time to parry the bloody axe blade that came bearing down on her. In a heartbeat, her sword was superheated and cleaving through the opposition, going from metal into flesh setting it ablaze. Blood gushed from the wound but Helena paid the dying man no mind. All her internal alarms ringing, she shouted a warning to her sister who shout back she was almost finished with the energy harvest. Hearing the ground beneath them crack, Helena realized they were about to be responsible for another round of property damage.

Quickly, she sidestepped to her right dodging a giant buzz saw-like object that shot out from the ground, leaving a jagged hole in the ground. Within seconds, it was eclipsed by a sudden network of cracks that served as a prelude to the rooftop floor exploding upward. A blur came rocketing out, slamming into Helena's face and propelling her a good fifteen feet into the air. Ryoko momentarily cried out in shock, a minute later and another shock-wave ripped through the air. With it, Helena flew further up leaving a thin trail of blood from her lips.

A mad howl of glee echoed as the cloaked figure sped towards the disoriented teenage girl. Bloody-red and deep black energy coiled around his reared back right hand which was launched forth like a spear thrust.

_**Thump! **_

Beneath his hood, the mysterious aggressor's face broke into confusion as he realized his attack had been stopped. Looking out from the rim of his hood, he saw the crackling eyes of the oldest daughter of Ritsuka Fujimaru and the Dragon Witch of Orleans. They burned not with anger or rage, but rather excitement. Her bloody lip curved into a wicked smile that was a dead ringer for her mother's infamous grins.

"Now, it's my turn." She said in a gleeful voice before ramming her head forward. It hurt her attacker much more than her as a pain-filled. It grew as the pale-haired girl drove her knee into the man's gut. A second later and Helena spun her body to the left, her right leg stretching out and slamming into the hooded figure's head like a bat connecting with the baseball. In the brief seconds that followed, Helena waited to hear bones snap, a neck give out under the pressure. It never came. The swordswoman felt a mixture of annoyance and excitement realizing that. It meant that whoever this man was, he could take a blow from her and likely get up and return the favor. He could give her a decent fight. That meant that she could cut loose a little more than she'd originally expected.

The hooded aggressor was rapidly approaching a nearby skyscraper, if nothing was done then he'd crash straight through the windows and likely scare the living hell out of anyone on the inside. Or just kill them. Knowing she couldn't allow that, Helena shot out her right hand, a line of red embers bursting into existence. A second later and a black-metal chain shot out, the embers coating the materialized weapon; they burst into fiery flames as the chain wrapped around the unsuspecting ankle of the unidentified man. Little more than a second later, Helena yanked the chain back, bringing him back in closer. A circular shock-wave of air was released as she drove her fist back into his gut in a refined uppercut. This time, she could hear the bones crack under the pressure.

She allowed the man to fly upwards a little before gripping her chain then yanking it back down. This time, she was going with a knee strike. Burning-hot energy coated around her right leg; mostly obscured by her gray shorts, a layer of draconic scales materialized over her legs. If her earlier punch had been enough to at least cause fracture, then this next blow would without a doubt pulverize the unknown's innards altogether.

Evidently, he knew that too, and he was turned of taking hits. Beneath the hood, Helena saw a pair of murderous red eyes that looked more bestial than human, glared back at her. Hands were held out and in a shower of red light, the same axe from earlier manifested in his hands.

_**CA-LIIING!**_

It was a wretched sound, but to those who lived for battle, it was also oddly enchanting. In that instant, her training had kicked in. Helena had gone form preparing for a kick to summoning Feucoeur and parrying the downward swing. Sparks flew from the chainsaw edge of the savage-looking weapon grinded against the flame-orange blade of the teenage girl. Neither were willing to back down, creating for a stand-sill in midair. For a few precious seconds.

Thin wisps of fire concentrated around Feucoeur as Helena's blue eyes stared back at the savage red of her opponent. She shut her own as she ignited the energy within her blade, causing an explosion powerful enough to push them both back. Through the cloud of flames, Helena was able to watch the hood of the man get blown away finally revealing his face. She'd be lying if she didn't' admit she wasn't both impressed and disgusted.

Blood-red tribal-like markings stretched across his bald head, centering on several metallic bolt-like implants. The first thing Helena's mind jumped to was piercing, rather horrific and painful ones. They glowed crimson red as the man directed his gaze at her. She sensed the muscles in his jaw clenching and bracing herself. She knew what was coming.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

It'd been a while since she'd dealt with opponents that used sound to attack. She could do so as well by channeling the power of the dragon through her lungs. This man wasn't channeling the power of a dragon, that much Helena could tell as she found her whole body under assault as if by hundreds of tiny needles. Her ears bore a great deal of the attack as her hearing was overwhelmed which led to her getting disoriented. She was hurting and wide-open, a fact that her opponent took advantage of by coming at her with his chainsaw axe buzzing.

Instead of flesh, what the axe blade hit against was a crystal-like orange barrier that surrounded the older Dragon Witch like a cocoon. It protected her from the axe's biting edge, but not quite the force, which set the seventeen-year-old rocketing toward the rooftop ground where she made an impact crater. The ground beneath her was shaky, another intense clash and it would no doubt give out. Glancing back at her sister, Helena grinned in realizing if such a thing happened then it wouldn't matter. They had plenty of ground to fight on, and Ryoko was about to deal a crippling blow to the strongest player on the board.

Looking up, she saw her attack gathering energy in his bloody axe; his intent was clear. All she had to do was jump to the side and the move would be easily avoided. That wasn't what Helena was planning on thought. She had something else in mind, something different. Taking a fighting stance, she readied herself and dared her enemy to come at her with a glare. He snarled then happily obliged. A trail of blood-like energy was left in his weapon's wake as he descended toward her. Seconds before they made impact, Helena moved her left hand, a flagpole with a flag made of flames materializing in her free hand. The flames stretched and warped, forming into a cocoon-like barrier that met the axe blade. The crimson energy dispersed, uncontrolled and creating a backlash effect that threw its owner off guard. Seeing her chance, Helena pointed the tip of her sword and flagpole upward at the off-balanced man.

At the exact same time, Ryoko finished her incantation. The ring of flagpoles that had been used to condense the sphere of life force of the captured Batlings levitated into the air and bent at a forty-five-degree angle. Rings of black light formed around the flaming sphere which condensed into an orb the size of a baseball. Then it exploded outward.

Flaming orange energy coated with black lightning cut a path across the New York City skyline, penetrating the clouds where it impacted something. Simultaneously, from the tips of Helena's weapons came a spiraling blast of red-coated energy that launched her attacker into the clouds. On the opposite side, an explosion of fire and light illuminated the clouds. It was quickly magnified by yet another sky-shattering blast, one that left wisps of violet and red-colored darkness in its wake.

Helena walked up beside her sister, placing both of her weapons atop her shoulders. "Think that was enough to take that bastard down?"

"I'm gonna guess…"

_**BOOM! **_

What burst from the far off battle wasn't fire - it was magical energy. _Dark _magical energy, much like the kind that their Servant wielded. Helena and Ryoko felt a familiar chill race up their spines as they watched the sphere of demonic energy grow then shrink down. Their ears popped as they heard the renewed sound of weapons clashing, shouting insults and taunts being exchanged over the air. The pale blondes looked to one another, their faces conveying all the words that their mouths wouldn't as they remained shut. A minute passed during which the sisters came to a decision. No sooner had they come to their decision did they feel a sudden and massive surge of malice. Quickly, they deduced its location. The sisters saw a crimson-red flash.

Helena grabbed Ryoko and bolted to the left, curses flying from her lips as she watched what her eyes could only call a flaming blur zoom towards them.

It wasn't just the rooftop, nearly the entire upper portion of the multi-store skyscraper went up in smoke and flames. First, they saw the object cut a clean path through the building, a red line that cut through hundreds of feet of steel and plaster. By Helena's estimate, the top twenty floors went, each one combusting within seconds of each other. There weren't going to be any byproducts such as ash burnt remains; it'd be as if all those floors and everything on them had been wiped from existence. That was the power of fire, the power that she and her sister had inherited from their mother, and power their father now possessed. Apparently, being a flame-dragon, it seemed their enemy possessed the power as well, in spades.

Both girls heard the shift in the air as the projectile weapon suddenly changed directions. They could feel it coming their way. Reacting just in the nick of time, the girls separated. A massive flaming wheel came barreling past them; it felt like they'd just flown over an erupting volcano. Riding with it was an undeniable sense of malice and evil that made the girls' hearts skip a beat. They resumed their usual pace a moment later, or they would have had danger not lingered over them.

"Helena!" Shouted Ryoko with fearful eyes.

There was a moment of clarity, a few precious seconds where the older girl became frighteningly aware of everything around her. From the burning buildings to the blaring alarms and sirens on the ground, it all was so clear to her. In a flash, she found herself moving in a new direction, a tight and scaly hand wrapped around her neck, choking it like a vice grip. She looked up and her blue eyes stared back into hateful green belonging to the enemy Lancer. Out of sheer reflex, she charged her right hand with energy and swung it forward. Olympius caught it and snarled at her.

"Pathetic, wretched imitation! Let me show you the true power of the dragon kind!"

Flying far and wide was the pain-filled scream of the seventeen-year-old as the scaled fist was driven directly into her gut. Burn marks appeared on her protective clothing, tough enough to withstand anything up to and including a bazooka being shot at her, not that Helena needed the protection. The Servant's fist felt more like getting hit by a couple of artillery shells from tanks. She flew from the Servant's grip, crashing through a curtain of glass and continuing onward, shattering furniture and walls alike before skidding to a stop. Helena spat out a pint of blood, she rose with her blue eyes blazing with fury. She'd hungered for a challenge, and it seemed that she was going to be getting it. All she had to do now was stay alive and hope she and her sister could devise a way to stop the draconic Lancer that had knocked her for a loop.

She had little time to finish regathering her thoughts as she saw several red flashes of light emitted from the Servant. Seconds later and she saw three massive crescent-shaped masses of burning-red magical energy coming her way. Gnashing her teeth, Helena summoned her broadsword and held it back, blazing flames gathering around the blade, causing the inscribed writing to glow. Without a doubt, this was going to cause quite a bit of damage to the building she was in, but in her heart, she knew that was the price they were going to have to pay. As they came closer and closer, she raised Feucoeur up. Once the oncoming attacks came in range, she brought the mystical-forged weapon down.

Explosions decimated the side of the multi-story building, just as those around it had been affected. All across the oval-shaped building winds shattered from the sheer force of the attack, causing a rain of glass and metal scraps to cascade onto the streets. It was all little more than a background event to Ryoko and Olympius, who'd found themselves locked in a spear-duel where the odds were heavily stacked against the short-haired sister. She knew full well she was outclassed and outpowered, but perhaps not outsmarted.

Like the rest of her family, she could "read" people to a certain extent through actions and words. From what little she'd seen of this Olympius, "Prince of Demons", he was an arrogant bastard of a fighter. Just the type of person that Ryoko despised with all of her heart.

But he had the power and skill to back up his arrogance.

He must have released his Noble Phantasm as his spear had changed forms from his earlier engagement with Koragg. Before, it had reminded her of the spears of Diarmuid and Cú Chulainn, somewhat simplistic in design until one got to the spear blades, which were ornate and finely decorated for such an evil weapon. Now, the blades had practically tripled in size, length, and now just looked the part of an evil weapon. The crossguard on both sides of the weapon had become dragon skulls with the volcanic-like blades jetting out from the mouths. On either side spread out a pair of demonic horns that Ryoko was sure could be used to puncture just as much as the blades could cut and stab. The entire thing reeked of blood and evil in a way that reminded her of Koragg's Darkalibur, but without the air of majesty and glory that his sword shined with.

Speaking of which, where was he? There was no way he could have been defeated by this creature! No, Ryoko refused to believe that!

"You've proven to be more tenacious than I thought!" Barked the red-scaled Servant with a vicious grin. "I'd commend that…if your efforts weren't so futile! You brats think you can stand against me, the Prince of Demons? Foolishness at its heights!" Two more swings and Ryoko was off-balance, only a split-second spin saved her from being split in half from the head down. She still had to contend with the backlash of the blade; it was like a miniature whirlwind whipping at her face. If she'd been a second slower, Ryoko knew her face would have split open from the wind pressure alone. "Thinking that you, a mere mortal, can mimic the power of dragons!?" Followed up the Lancer. This swing left both of her arms, throbbing in dulled pain. "_That _is folly that will cost you and your wretched sister your lives! Now, burn to cinders at the true power of a dragon!"

"Oi! Prince Douchebag, over here!" Came the thundering voice of the older sister, sounding closer and closer by the second.

Not at all losing his stride, Olympius redirected his attention to his four o'clock. Zooming at him was Helena Fujimaru, a set of ethereal wings attached to her back. They were acting more like jet thrusters as they carried her across the skies on a warpath that would end with a collision with the Servant. He more than welcomed it. Shifting his body only by a few inches, he swung his double-sided spear in time to meet the teenage girl's blazing hot sword. Their clash resulted in a cloud of bursting flames and superheated air that could have been mistaken for a firebomb exploding in the air. Both combatants were pushed back, but Helena more so than Olympius, who snarled in annoyance at seeing the girl still had both arms attached to her body. He wanted to remedy that in the most painful way imaginable.

Unknown to the Lancer, a look of shock flashed across both girls. It quickly melted away into resolute frowns that might as well have been welded into their faces. Magical circles appeared beneath both of their feet giving them footholds to temporarily stand on, then kickoff of.

The demonic dragon's arrogance and frustration had taken hold, blinding him to the obvious change in the girls' demeanors. First, he swung his spear at Helena, deducing her to be the greater threat due to her large amount of power and fighting experience. Seconds before his Noble Phantasm struck her weapon, the girl's voice shouted out, **"Mode-Bleu!" **

A split second before the two fire-based weapons made contact, the flames of the teen's sword changed from bright orange and yellow to azure. Olympius' eyes widened as instead of hitting up against some flimsy sheeting, he found himself attempting to cleave through a fortress wall. Blue embers jumped out, roaring as the pony-tail-haired girl put all of her strength into holding him in position. Opposite of her, Ryoko raised her second spear, a three-pronged trident with draconic scales on it, and thrust it at Olympius. Predictably, he attempted to catch the weapon with his bare hands.

"WH-WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS?!" Roared the scale-bounded Servant as he found himself unable to move his free arm, or his other arm. Worse yet, he could feel strength being drained from the former. Quickly, his eyes spotted the bright green gemstone at the base of the trident. _That weapon, it absorbs energy from those it comes into contact with! And on top of that, these wretches placed a binding spell on their weapons! A spell I activated the moment I-gah! Damn them! Damn them both!_ Hot-red rage swelled up within the Lancer. It was funneled from his core being into the rest of his body, specifically his arms, which bulged as he fought off the witchcraft the girls had cast on him. The spell wouldn't hold for any longer than a few seconds, but that was all the girls needed.

They had the Dragon Prince in place, right where their Saber wanted him.

At the front of the Lancer appeared a purple-tinted magic circle. Emerging in a puff of black-colored smoke and flames came the Knight Wolf, his unholy holy sword pulled back, and blazing with energy.

"Let this be a lesson," his cold voice spat. "Never turn your back on me, salamander!" His right arm launched forward, dragging his sword in a diagonal arc that let loose a wave of crackling dark magic coated in a layer of unholy light. The demon saw the attack coming and struggled to get out of the way, but it was for naught. By the time the girls broke away, the beam was within centimeters of him. It connected with a thunderous boom that echoed even Olympius' body was sent sailing downward, crashing through buildings where he disappeared behind the wreckage. He cursed the entire way down.

Koragg dismissed his weapons, freeing up his hands to grab hold of his two Masters. Lightly gripping them by the rim of their shirts, he floated over to a nearby rooftop that _hadn't _demolished by the fighting. Once the girls were on solid ground, they hunched over, breathing hard while their draconic wings dissipated.

"You not only defeated all of the Batlings, but you managed to catch Olympius off-guard and hold your own against him." Commented the dark knight. There was a noticeable edge of shock in his voice…and a ring of approval.

"H-Hey, remember, we grew up amongst mankind's finest and most batshit warriors." Laughed Helena. The ringing in her arms had stopped and the dulling ache was fading. That was good as she knew within the next minute or so the battle would be starting up again. "Besides, after we held our own against you, did you doubt we'd be able to handle some scaled-up douchebag thinking he's the hottest shit beneath the sun?"

Koragg turned to his left and found Ryoko laughing as she rose to her feet. He couldn't quite explain it, but there was something…appealing about seeing her standing tall and proud, ready for another round. "Our mother taught us to do only one thing when we ran into guys like that - knock them off their high horse and down into the pits of hell." She declared with pride. Turning to face her sister and Servant, she silently asked if they were with her on the next course of action. "You guys still got some fuel left in you?"

Swords were raised, one landing on the shoulders and one twirling about in the air, leaving red-lined black streaks in its wake. Down below them, a burst of bright-red flames shook a nearby building, blowing all of its windows out with the sheer force of the power being expelled.

"We should probably think of moving him someplace a tad more…secluded." Helena mused.

"Why?" Koragg questioned.

The sisters leaned over and looked between one another before turning their gaze back to the knight.

"Because, fighting in an urban area with powers like ours is a _really_, _really _bad idea." Ryoko clarified. "Not to mention our dad will get chewed out by the Association for causing too much collateral damage."

"…Then I assume you two have a place in mind?" It was obvious that the Morlock cared for little for the concept of collateral damage. He was a warrior, a fighting machine, his job was to fight and destroy anything in his way. Up to a point anyway. He was at least willing to admit that if they continued this battle in the public, it would draw attention. The last thing he wanted was human pests flying around and distracting him.

Again, the girls looked at one another. "Yeah, we might know a place."

_But damn is Smokey the Bear going to be angry with us. _Groaned Helena.

"Who is this, 'Smokey' you speak of? Why will our actions arouse his anger?"

Another burst of fire lit up the space to their right.

* * *

_**United Nations Building, 6:48 PM…**_

"Ah, I see you showed up at last! You kept me waiting, you insufferable little upstart. And I see you brought your wife with you, how delightful!"

Ritsuka knew very well he couldn't have made it as far as he did without learning how to keep a cool head, and holding back his more hot-blooded allies. Thankfully, Joan had learned that lesson as well, thanks to him. That said, she still had a rather short fuse and wasn't above silently telling someone to stop while they were ahead via a very well-trained and ferocious death glare.

It had no effect on the magus standing atop the stage, a near deranged smile on his face. It wasn't the first time Ritsuka had seen such a thing, and seeing it solidified something he'd known since they touched down and made their way to the UN Building.

This whole thing was a trap.

It wasn't the first one he'd walked into, and hopefully, it wouldn't be the last.

He couldn't say that he hadn't expected to eventually find himself standing across Ebner Rotfeld, perhaps minutes away from doing battle with the German magus. It was inevitable given his family's…craft…and Ebner's own, as well as his ego. The only thing that had ever been in question was where their clash would take place. Never would he have imagined that it'd be here, in the United Nations Building; Ritsuka guessed Ebner had always dreamed of something like this. He never did take too kindly to Chaldea's existence, though not because it broke many "conventional laws" of magus. No, what he loathed was the sheer power they'd amassed, power that had come from unity instead of a singular source or cutthroat backstabbing which is what most magus thrived on. His existence and that of his family had always been a particular eyesore to the German magus.

From the looks of things, the time had come to deal with those differences.

"Ebner," Ritsuka began, his voice unnervingly calm and steady. "I don't know what this is about, but I can already tell it's gone too far. This can end in one of two ways, both of which I'm pretty sure you're aware of."

Ebner's green eyes lit up with mad joy as he threw back his head and cackled. Something had clearly happened to him as he sounded more unhinged than before. Or maybe Ritsuka was just seeing more of the real him - the true malice and wickedness that always simmered beneath the surface. He suspected it'd always been there, but Ebner had kept a cap on it; that cap was now gone and all the darkness was bubbling up to the surface. "You're right about one thing, this has gone too far. The reverence that your pathetic family's been treated with, it ends here. Before dawn breaks…I shall show you all the true power of fire!"

_**SLISH! SLASH! CLASH!**_

The space above the veteran Master shined with the light of several lines of roaring fires. They drew paths across several shadowy figures, all of whom screamed in pure agony as their existences were snuffed out. What few splotches of blood that survived the burning heat hit the floor around Ritsuka and his wife. Dark violet-lettering lit up the latter's blade, leaving a light trail as she twirled the Noble Phantasm about and pointed it at the German magus. His laughter had ceased, but a smug grin remained on his face.

"Seems like you've finally decided you've had your fill of life, uttering such words in my presence." Snarled the pale blonde matriarch of the Fujimaru Family. Her lips quickly curved upward into a murderous smile that had frightened a great many modern magi. Truthfully, she never liked Ebner, which wasn't all that surprising considering he made a point of challenging her whenever they crossed paths. This time would be no different. "Tell you what, I'll save you the boredom of being hauled in before those stuff aristocratic bastards at the Clock Tower; I'd say that's a punishment even you don't deserve." Holding up her prize sword, the bright flames turned pitch-black mixed with purple and gray, highlighting the outright murderous glee on her face. "I'll turn you into the fuel for my family's flames, a fitting fate for someone like you, Ebner!"

In a single glance, Ritsuka knew that further talking was pointless, so he merely braced himself for whatever carnage his wife was ready to inflict upon their opponent. The fact that they were in an international meeting place, the general assembly room of the UN. He internally sighed at the realization that he was going to be up to his eyeballs in paperwork, and that wasn't even accounting for what kind of hell his daughters were-

_**CLANG!**_

His face growing dark, he snapped his eyes to his right, catching the black blur moving to intercept his wife. Ritsuka's whole body buzzed as he heard the familiar sound of metal clashing against metal, two sharpened, supernatural blades meeting each other in the first of what would no doubt be many clashes. The walls around them cracked, wood and metal alike splintered as if it'd been pulverized by a massive hammer. Only Ritsuka and Ebner, both men watching the clash, remained stationary. One of them was smiling, one wasn't.

"As much as I'd love to put you in your place, you sorry excuse for homunculus. Play with my compatriot for a while." Sneered the green-eyed magus with a dismissive wave of his hand. His lips ticked upward into a condescending smile, a well-known and aggravating trait of his. "On the other hand, I'm sure you two will get along well. After all, my associate is a big fan of yours." Chuckled the older man before his eyes shifted to Ritsuka.

Joan sneered in annoyance as she tried and failed to push away the mysterious assailant who'd intercepted her attack. Of course, it was a knight, one clad in pitch-black armor with bloody highlights. What caught Joan's attention wasn't her opponent's fashion sense, but their smell and strength. First, they're _reeked _of demonic essence and a mixture of pure human malice, an intoxicating mix that told her that whoever this person was, they were one step away from morphing into a full demon. Or maybe they already had behind the horned helmet from which a pair of ruby-colored eyes stared back at her. Secondly, there was their strength. While a human, she still possessed all the strength she had as a Servant, and that was the power to topple a multi-storied building with nothing but a "love tap". She'd only grown stronger over the years, yet this mysterious knight was holding her off.

Barely.

"Finally…finally!" Though distorted, the fashion designer could tell her opponent was female, and clearly off her rocker. "I've wanted to meet you for so long, Jeanne Alter!"

Briefly, her eyes widened at the mention of her "old title", and the wording of the statement. In that second, Joan decided that enough was enough, she was ending this right then and there. "Alright then, how about you meet my sword!" With a simple mental flex, she caused the flames coating her blade to burst, becoming a swirling torrent that illuminated the entire chamber. Sensing something amiss, she briefly tore her eyes to the side, where she saw a massive stream of flames heading straight for her husband.

Calmly, Ritsuka held out his hand, a single line of incantation falling from his mouth. The stream fire stopped at his palm, condensing and swirling about until he held it in the palm of his hand, which closed into a tight fist a moment later. Ritsuka cursed as he swung his left leg out, light-green lines running up it as he slammed into the Ebner's straight jab. A gust of air was released as the two magi fell back, then attacked one another. Bright red flames swirled about in Ebner's right hand as he flung the limb at Ritsuka's face. Calmly, the architect stepped back, avoiding the blow, and the second, and third. After that, he launched his right arm upward in a devasting uppercut that connected.

Briefly, golden light flashed from the point of contact. Ebner grunted as he was launched upward toward the ceiling. He gasped for breath once Ritsuka slammed his knee into his gut, launching him forward up. Radiant flames momentarily swirled around his feet, propelling him higher than his opponent. He was just high enough that a punch downward would likely leave a big impact crater floor, but he reasoned it might be worth it if he could subdue Ebner with the damage stopping there.

"Ritsuka!" Shouted his wife catching his attention.

Already sensing the cause of her distress, Ritsuka twisted his body around. Starting from his knee down, swirling tendrils of golden flames enveloped his leg, which moved in a swift diagonal line across the air. The attackers that had been amassing behind the ceiling burst forth, only to run headlong into a wall of radiant flames that incinerated their unholy flesh down to the bones. There was little time to Ritsuka to contemplate what had happened as he felt a firm hand grip his ankle, damn near breaking it with the level of force that was exerted. The next thing Ritsuka knew he was falling down, his back slamming through a wooden table and hitting the hard ground. Compared to the damage he'd suffered in the past, this was light. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

What was going to hurt was the bottom of Ebner's empowered foot, coming down right on top of him. Quickly, he rolled to the side, avoiding the flame-empowered stomp that would have crushed his chest on impact. Springing back to his feet, he caught Ebner's follow-up attacks, a series of punches and kicks that carried enough force to shatter concrete like tissue paper. The Slayer of the Demon King responded with a series of well-timed and accurate deflections that infuriated his opponent, he found none of his attacks able to solidly land in spite of his best efforts.

While he outwardly focused on keeping himself alive, inside, Ritsuka reached out with his mind. _Artoria, Rees, I'm assuming you guys have run into trouble? _

Naturally, the field operative's voice was ringed with anger as he physically screamed out several curses. Through the com-line, Ritsuka could hear gunfire, shouting, and the roaring of creatures that most certainly weren't anything resembling human. _That's putting it lightly! Dammit it all, the whole damn building's infested, with _demons_! Honest-to-God __**demons**__! This shouldn't be possible, not here of all places! _

_I'm currently speaking with the person most likely responsible. _Responded the Japanese, ducking a horizontal kick that would have beheaded him if he hadn't been fast enough.

_Can you please tell him to stop? _

Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh, something that caused Ebner's face to break out in a feral snarl. His next punch reflected that anger as he felt the raw pressure of it cut his cheek even as he moved his head to the side. _I'll try, but something tells me he's not going to listen. Not to my words anyway. Artoria, what's it looking like? _

_Like I'm back in my own time, to be quite honest! _Answer the King of Knights. Through the Master-Servant bond, he could hear the sound of Excalibur through air, and flesh. _Master, it is as Rees spoke, this building seems to have become infested with the spawn of the underworld. Routing them will take time! _

_Then do it! Joan and I can handle ourselves, you guys just watch your backs! _Shouted the blue-eyed human before finally deciding to go on the counterattack against his opponent.

Speaking of his wife, she was finding that her opponent, a female clad in dark armor and carrying a two-handed broadsword stained with blood, was a rather big fan of hers.

"I've wanted to meet you for so long! Your swordsmanship, your flames, they all live up to the stories!" She raved as they strike at one another and parried the other's blows. It was clear that whoever this woman was, she was enjoying herself, she wasn't fighting that seriously.

Joan didn't quite like that. "Yeah, yeah, sorry, but in case you haven't noticed, your cutting into my time with my family!" The change was evident. A hot surge of rage rushed through the armored woman as she drew her sword back and swung it forward in a vertical slash that Joan blocked by holding her sword up. Another wicked grin spread across her lips. "Now then, that's more like it. Your hatred, that rage simmering inside of you, it's raw and burning hot. Can't say I'm not impressed by it, but I've got better things to do than feed it." Not a minute later and she proved the truth of her words. Taking a quick inhalation of breath, Joan heaved upward, temporarily exposing her frontal side. Wasting no time, Joan drove her right fist directly into her abdomen; through her helmet, she heard the woman's lips gasp for breath. She promptly flew backwards, barreling through anything and everything in her way until she crashed right through the wall.

Just a few feet from her, her former Master and now-husband had found himself in a deadlock with his opponent. Ritsuka's bright blue-green eyes glared back into his opponent's maddened emerald orbs. Both men broke away from one another, fire amassing in their stretched back palms. In Ebner's hand swirled a mass of blackened flames, while in Ritsuka's the fires were golden like rays of sunlight. With a war cry that resounded through the chamber meant through peaceful discussion, the two men launched their respective attacks forward. Except at the last second, Ritsuka's open palm suddenly clenched around a dagger into which his sacred flames funneled themselves into.

_**SLISH!**_

"Bastard!" Barked the German, stumbling back with blood pouring from his cut palm. Disrupted, hellish embers scattered about setting the surroundings ablaze.

Ritsuka's hands moved into position, a bluish-green outline forming in-between them. A second later and he held a metallic, gold-plated crossbow which he aimed at his opponent. His eyes remained hard as he pulled the trigger, firing off a bolt of bluish-white energy directly into Ebner's chest. He pulled the trigger again; this time, the bolt was one of golden flames. As with his wife, he launched his opponent backwards, knocking him through the walls and continuing onward. A mighty explosion rocked not just the assembly chamber, but likely the entire floor.

Joan held up her sword, the black blade glowing red as it absorbed the residual flames of the battle before they could spread and completely consume the chamber. "Ritsuka, right beneath us…the magical energy…" A deep sneer marked her face as she swung her sword to the side, the black blade ablaze. "So, is this the plan? Crack open a hole to the **Black Kingdom **so you can summon some demons to play with!?"

Through the hole first, the dark knight emerged, trails of bloody-red energy rolling off of her armored form. Behind timed another of other armored creatures, their black and scaly skin sharply contrasting to the colorful plaster around them. They looked up at the former Servant and hissed in a murderous rage. The knight held up her sword arm, causing them to squirm backward. Whatever she was, she commanded their respect, no doubt through fear. Joan could find some respect in that.

Breathing out, Ritsuka rolled his shoulders and readied himself as Ebner walked back to the forefront, blood dripping down his forehead and his suit torn in several places. At first, his expression was one of anger, but then it morphed into dark glee as he held up his hands. Malefic red and black-energy erupted from his hands, markings spread up his body reaching his right eye, which glowed a malicious red. Ritsuka felt his entire body shiver in fright at the sudden display of power. He wasn't alone as the room, the building, _the _world seemed to quiver in fear. Readying himself, he held up his crossbow, a golden flame arrow burning at the tip. In that instant, Ritsuka realized that six years after it was bombed, the United Nations Building was going to need yet another renovation. Or need to be rebuilt from the ground up.

"Now that I've humored you, I believe it's high time we started fighting for real." Ebner cackled, floating a few feet off the ground. "Allow me to show you the power that I've obtained, the power of the **Dark God **that will bring an end to this world! Consider it an honor to be slain by me, an apostle who will help usher in the-"

The black-haired husband let loose a single arrow, its size three times bigger than the previous shots. Golden light illuminated all that it past as it sped towards the chaos sorcerer. The pale-haired woman brought her sword down, sending a vertical crescent-shaped wave of jet-black and purple flames that incinerated the air itself on its way to the target. Said target's body burst with foul energies which were funneled into the broadsword, which was swung forward to meet the oncoming attack.

Outside the UN Building, a certain Demi-Servant felt the ground beneath her shake, as if it were the prelude to an earthquake. Beyond that, a dark chill suddenly wrapped around her, as well as the dozens of other Chaldea operatives who'd cornered off the area. Several of them looked to the UN Building sensing the disturbance. It was much like the calm before the storm, or rather, the calm before a volcano erupted.

Something in Mash's gut told her that this eruption wasn't just going to stop at one building, it was going to spread. And spread fast

* * *

_**Harlem, 6:55 PM…**_

"Here they come."

Akara's warning came out in a flat tone in spite of the severity of the situation.

A grin formed on Ida's face as she muttered, "Finally" in her mother's native Syrian. In her right hand manifested her scythe, the steel blade gleaming and ready to do what it was built for-kill.

Harlem was a beautiful place, beautiful in a physical sense, and a special sense. The neighborhood had seen many a rough patch, some of them quite straining and others not so much. Regardless, it had always bounced back, stronger than ever. That was human nature, human spirit. Ida and Akara carried that same sort of spirit within them, or at least they were told so by others. Trauma had visited each of them time after time, yet they'd rose and continued onward. Continuing onward had brought them here, to yet another battlefield.

There was no place quite like a dark alley for a brawl between two secretive groups. One sworn to defend humanity's future and the other…they honestly had no idea.

Based on the blades they wielded and the blood-curdling screams they released from their mouths, Ida and Akara were willing to bet it was nothing good.

The operatives sprung into action alongside Ida, weapons flying free and mouths twisting into a sneer as they realized the time for bloodshed had come. Indeed, seconds later, blood was indeed shed.

A silver flash moved through the air, cleaving through clothing and flesh alike as a reaper's blade was meant to. When it met the blades of others, Ida merely smiled and pushed, pushing through the attackers' weapons. They seemed surprised at her seemingly superhuman strength. It was the strength she'd gained from fighting to survive, and eventually fighting so she could learn how to live. The realization was the last thing some of the cloaked figures had in their minds before their lives ended.

Those who attempted to test Akara met a similar fate, albeit a tad more gruesome. There was death by the scythe, then there was death by the claws.

Whoever the cloaked killers were, they could sense something different about Akara. That slight warning came before he was upon them, his normally calm and warm eyes now reptilian slits as the bandages around his arms and legs came loose. At least freed of their bindings, the scales on his body bristled and crackled with bloody desire. When his mouth slid open in feral sneers, they revealed predatory fangs fit for a beast of the wild. He'd already caught a whiff of the scent that these cloaked men and women carried - evil, pure evil. Therefore, he showed them next to no mercy as he drove his claws into their flesh, ripping them out with little to no hesitation. When their blades found his exposed skin, they quickly found that the scales weren't just for show.

"You're a-gah!" Cried one of them seconds before Akara drove his knee into his gut. He didn't bother with a brutal kill, he simply spun about, his sandal-covered foot smacking hard against the man's head. The resulting snap was kick and clean.

_**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! **_

Alyssa Aoyagi, as far as human members went, she ranked within Chaldea's top ten most dangerous. A good fourteen years of service in the CIA before stumbling into the Moonlight World, a world she adapted to with remarkable speed and efficiency. A world that she knew needed to be policed and kept separate from the already chaotic and messy world that she used to live in. Her deep brown hair was kept tied up in a bun though a few strands had begun to fall across her beautiful face. She looked back, her almond eyes finding Akara and Ida as she reloaded her pistols.

"If I tell Akara to go, you're going to follow him, aren't you?" Asked the gunslinging woman with a slight smirk.

Ida smiled as she grabbed hold of an approaching enemy and brought him to the ground. Her left fist came down upon the attacker's face, the sound of bones breaking rising up. "But of course, he's my precious little brother and I have to look out for him when we're in a big 'ole city like this."

The two women laughed while the Thai teen rolled his eyes in annoyance. Without waiting for another comment to be made, he took off, reaching superhuman speeds as he turned corners and headed down the corner. Alyssa motioned the German-Syrian girl with a nod of her head. Quickly, she took off after him.

"Both of you, look after them." Whispered the veteran field agent.

"Do you really have to ask?" Chuckled the Chinese Assassin, speeding along the walls while the spearman at her side darted after them both, vanishing into spirit forms.

Alyssa rose upward, breathing out a held breath as she turned back to face the rest of her squad. This was wrong, on multiple levels. What they'd just fought were mere grunts, nothing near good enough to slow them down, much less stop them. All her experience told her that something about this was wrong, like they were being wound up for a punch.

She was proven right as a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Then the entire ground beneath her feet quite literally began to shake.

* * *

_**7:09 PM…**_

"You've got to be kidding me." Ida snarled.

"I seriously wish I was, but I'm not. Blame modern architecture." Retorted the half-reptilian youth, staring at the building across from them with cold eyes. It was a diner, one that was reasonably packed given the time of day-dinner time to be exact. A time when people were either heading out or stopping by to get a bite to eat before heading home. On top of that were the multiple people simply walking the street. "I'll go in and investigate." He said, placing his bandages back on. The thin layer of magecraft around them would be enough to disguise his appearance, combined with his "civilian" clothes and camouflage ability and he should have been alright.

Ida, on the other hand, wasn't having it. "_We're _going in." She spoke in a tone that told him there wasn't going to be any room for argument. "You two hang back and watch from afar. Things go south…eh, hopefully people will be too busy running and screaming to notice you."

"Not likely." Akara remarked.

"Agree with him on this." Echoed the Assassin.

They were dressed as befitting the weather, shorts, sandals, and t-shirts. All it would take for their clothing to change would be a simple press of the wrist-mounted watches on each of their arms, amazing achievements in modern technology. Both teens sucked in a quick breath then began making their way across the street, not a single soul giving them a second glance.

All the people they passed, they prayed they'd be able to escape in time, even though in their hearts they knew such a thing wasn't going to be possible. Once at the door, the pair looked to one another, then pushed right on through.

As Akara had predicted, it was quite packed inside, people sitting at the counter, in their own little corners, all of them enjoying their evening. Or they would have been had the news not been broadcasting the battle currently unfolding on the far end of Manhattan Island. In a way though, that's how they were able to tell who they were looking for. With all eyes on the TV, the source of the disturbance they felt must have been coming from the one person who wasn't looking. Quickly, they scouted the diner, finding that person sitting at the far end.

He wore a biker's jacket lined with metal plates, quite atypical. His lips were wrapped around a straw from which he was sipping up the last remains of a smoothie. Akara and Ida heard the low chuckle that was aimed solely at them. Without even sparing one another a glance, they acted.

"Everybody out, now!" Screamed Akara.

Ida shot her arm out, a sphere of glowing emerald energy shooting across the diner straight at the blonde-haired man.

What happened next was both horrifying and fascinating.

At least twenty-eight voices screamed in perfect unison. Their cries were cut short as their bodies exploded into a gory burst of meat and blood right before the eyes of the two teens, who could do nothing but watch in horror. Even that too was short-leaved as all the gore condensed around the causes of the sudden-deaths. Where each occupant had been standing or sitting, there was a needle-like mass of metal that glowed with a mixture of purple, orange, and blue light. Like vacuums, they sucked up the remains, then vanished beneath the ground. Only the biker remained, his shoulders rumbling as he chuckled and stood up.

"Ya' blocks got here just in the nick of time. I was just done eatin'." He said in a thick British accent. "Yo! It's finally time to come out and play, Saber!"

In tandem, the two orphans jumped back, cursing in their respective tongues. Little more than a second later and the diner exploded. First, a circular blast of raw heat and energy, then an upward tower of malefic red energy mixed with arcs of reddish-orange lightning that seemingly reached the clouds. Ida and Akara braced themselves as they found themselves having to dig into the street to stay upright while others were well and completely blown away. Windows and glass all across the block, the next several blocks, shattered from the sheer force while the ground broke apart sending debris out in all directions.

High above the heads of the humans, the evening sky darkened, blood-colored clouds massing while thunder boomed as if it were the beginning of a coming storm. The storm had already arrived, it was just now making itself known.

Materializing at the side of the two teens stood two Servants of Chaldea, two whom the pair trusted to have their fight. Beside Akara stood Yan Qing, one of the heroes of the _Water Margin _of Chinese literature. His joking demeanor dropped as he sensed the foul wave of energy, not just foul but also distinctively _familiar_. Equally so, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, his two spears unsealed and his face dark as he readied himself beside Ida, who'd summoned back her clockwork scythe.

The four were on the receiving end of yet another cyclonic gale as they saw a figure emerge from the shadowy smoke and dense distortion. Somehow, it seemed the air itself was being burdened with the raw power of the newly revealed entity, a Servant, one of immense power if the demonic aura they were witnessing was any indication.

Next came the roar, a bestial scream of primal rage that reminded the four of the organization's Berserkers. That was the first thought that jumped to their minds, or at least Yan Qing's and Diarmuid's. Ida and Akara had heard the man's earlier statement, identifying his Servant as a Saber. It wasn't like Sabers weren't prone to having tempers fit for Berserkers; Koragg had single-handedly humiliated one such Saber less than seventy-two hours ago.

Right about now, the two were rather wishing they had the Knight Wolf at their side as they got a good look at their enemy.

It, or rather he, wasn't human. While he had a humanoid figure, that was it, it was simply humanoid. Grotesque red armor somewhat resembling that of a samurai's covered the body right down to a set of metallic skirts around the legs. Behind the back stretched out two metallic prongs from which more fell like a set of curtains. Six eyes, six murderous glowing orange eyes stared at the four with nothing but burning, genocidal hatred in them. A mouth marked by four canids opened, allowing wisps of dark-red smoke to rise up and float out. In the right hand, a massive single-edged sword, a _zanbatō_ encrusted with a golden eastern dragon, was raised and swung to the side kicking up a storm.

Stepping out alongside the newly revealed monster was the man from earlier, his upper-body clothing discarded revealing a body marked with metallic implants up to the arms, which now looked more robotic than human. Throwing his head back, the British Master laughed. "See, told ya' if you were patient our prey would come along! Now, have at 'em, show me what ya' Nighlok are capable of!"

"RAAAAAAHHHH!" Bellowed the sword-wielding evil as he fixed the opponents before him. "I can hear it…I can hear it all. Their _cries_, their _anguish_…I need more! MORE! But first, I shall crush you four," snarled the Servant, his body burning with a red aura of murderous malice. "Now, fall at the blade of I, **Master Xandred, Ruler of the Nighlok, **and **Saber of Hell**!"

Once again, earth exploded as the Saber rushed forward, his sword raised and falling once he was within striking range. The weapon fell, and lived up to its name of being able to remove a mountain in demolishing anything and everything in its path in one destructive sweep.

* * *

**So, we've now got three battles going: the Fujimaru Sisters and Koragg vs Olympius, Ritsuka and Joan vs. Olympius' Master and his demonic associates, and lastly Ida and Akara vs. a British asshole and one of Power Rangers' most anger-prone villains. Is this going to end well? Oh no, and this is just the beginning.**

**I'm curious as to what you all thought of Master Xandred as the Hell Faction's Saber. He did come from the series centered on samurai…but he's got a temper that's more fit for a Berserker, doesn't he? I've got another PR villain lined up to fill the Berserker slot, and he too will be a bit of an oddity. In the meantime, Xandred's definitely going to be a bit similar to Mordred in terms of personality and overall fighting style (read: destroy everything in sight), but he's going to have his own character quirks and personality. He certainly contrasts to Koragg, who's practically everything Xandred isn't and that will come into play when they clash. **

**Next chapter all the fights move onto their next stage and begin bleeding into each other as Chaldea finds that a new and deadlier type of Holy Grail War has begun, and the stakes are going to be higher than they'd thought. **

**Oh, and lots and lots and LOTS of collateral damage as you'd expect. Until then, have a good day readers! **


	9. Chapter 8-Little Trouble, Big Apple Pt3

**I'm back, everyone! Here's hoping you all had a safe and fun Halloween and Veteran's Day; for me, Halloween involved a lot of rain and a minor blackout. Anyways, last chapter featured some pretty interesting matchups and reveals, and this chapter continues them so onto the show! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 8 - Little Trouble in the Big Apple Pt.3**_

* * *

_**Harlem, NYC, 7:27 PM…**_

Nobody had any idea who this Xandred entity was, but one thing became readily clear over the next ten minutes following his introduction.

He was talking, screaming, flailing mass of pure rage that could rival Hercules and Berserker Lancelot, yet he wasn't a Berserker himself. But he sure as hell fought like one.

Diarmuid had encountered warriors such as him before, men who became consumed with murderous rage in the heat of battle, making them little more than rampaging animals. He personally viewed such fighters as needing to be put down as such. The best way to do that was as quickly and efficiently as possible. Sadly, that wasn't proving to be the case for this Xandred character.

His massive swings were like gales sent by tornadoes, rending the air itself while denting steel and glass alike as if it were all clay, and that was just the blowback from his swings. Whatever happened to be within striking range of the Saber's massive blade was cut out of existence via overwhelming brute force. Diarmuid knew from what few clashes came about between the pair that he was outgunned, one direct hit from his opponent's sword and he'd either be dead or knocking on death's door. Currently, he and Yan Qing were doing all they could to avoid either outcome, though their foe wasn't making it easy, far from it.

Diarmuid's arms groaned with nonstop pain as he parried what blows he could, or rather, those he needed to. It was like deflecting an attack from a giant. Even as a Servant, the Lancer felt himself struggling; the same could be said for Yan Qing, who'd come to the correct conclusion that this wasn't an opponent for them to play around with. Oh, and his durability wasn't anything to scoff at.

The Chinese Assassin had attempted to land a punch aimed at Xandred's right side abdomen as he briefly struggled against the Irish Lancer. His fist had connected, but that was it. Yan Qing had a brief second to realize what it was he was attempting to harm - a juggernaut, with a body of adamant. His normal punches would be little more than love taps, what they needed was something stronger. Diarmuid realized that as he was sent recoiling back, his feet digging into the pavement of the road. Both of his arms throbbed like he'd just attempted to bench press a mountain, it was both painful and annoying, and quite telling.

"Seems like we might not be the right people for this job." Mused the long-haired fist-user that appeared beside him. Much like the Lancer, there was a thin sheen of sweat running down his forehead, a testament to how ferocious the battle had been, and they'd only just started the fight little more than ten minutes ago. "If I create an opening for you, do you think either of your Spears will have any effect on him?"

Diarmuid would have answered, but his ability to speak was comprised by the sudden chill that ran up his spine. It meant only one thing.

Tendrils of red lightning swirled about the raised eastern sword, seconds later and it all condensed into the blade, turning it into a crackling, blazing torch of pure destructive energy. Yet another barbaric war cry went out from the Saber before he slammed the weapon downward, sending forth an all-consuming wave that annihilated everything in its path. The two human Servants had a brief second to curse, then used their expectational speed to move as far out of the way as possible. As they did so, they called out to the human pair they'd come along with. They were fighting at the other end of the street, directly in the path of the oncoming wave.

Ida saw the attack coming out of the corner of her eye; luckily, she was in the position to do something about it. Her cherry eyes flashed emerald green, mystic light exuding from her pupils. The light condensed, then exploded outward in an omnidirectional wave. Riding the light wave was the sound of a clock's hand stopping, the gears coming to a sudden halt. All around the German-Syrian girl was outlined in emerald green, including her attacker.

His face was frozen in a murderous grin, his arms no longer those of a human being, but metallic gauntlets that used to be his forearms. Ida and Akara had watched the transformation with muted interest. His flesh had twisted and transformed becoming a horrific, glittering metal that could withstand repeated clashes with Ida's scythe, itself made of reinforced material sharp enough it could cleave a vault door clean in half. Well, her opponent possessed the strength that could not only rip the vault door off its hinges, but toss it like a Frisbee across an open field.

Unaffected by the time pause, Akara grabbed her by the shoulder. Scales lined up his neck stretching to his cheek, covering half of his face; just as Ida's eyes had changed, so too had his. They were no longer the eyes of a human, they were the slit pupils of a reptile, whose powers he called upon in that moment. His left arm shot outward, literally. It extended across the sky, visible in the dying light of the setting sun was the various scale patches that now ran through his entire body. Upon latching onto a nearby rooftop ledge, Akara pulled. In a second he and his surrogate sister were moving through the air, flipping themselves onto the rooftop of the chosen building. Down below them, Ida's pause came to an end allowing for all those in the range of her Mystic Eyes spell to move again. Not that it helped much.

The destructive wave was coming straight for the now freed Englishman, who looked at it with visible amusement in his eyes. Less than a second remained before it rolled over him, yet he did nothing. He vanished along with everything else on the street, including the street itself.

"Great, we left Mordred behind to get stuck with an even bigger and louder version of her." Mused the Thai native as his reptilian eyes scoured the aftermath of the attack. It looked like a small-scale air strike had just taken place, blowing away everything that had been in the target area. Akara wasn't convinced though, not with his enhanced senses. "Ida." he spoke, darting for the other end of the rooftop. Right alongside him was the scythe-wielding girl, silently cursing under her breath. A moment later and her cursing was proven completely warranted.

It was as if some monstrous hedgehog had awoken from its slumber, massive metallic spikes jetted out in all directions, punching through the five-story building interior like a balloon. Glass, brick, and metal crumbled as the pulsing, glowing protrusions ripped through the air. Only for a moment did the spikes remain stationary, they visibly pulsated, then extended outward, striking at the two teenagers like live serpents.

"Ah, I see, so his magecraft manipulates metal." Mused the scythe-wielding teenage girl with a dark chuckle. "Let me test how sturdy his metal is!" She cried as her Mystic Eyes activated. From her empowered orbs came a circular pulse of emerald light. As it had on the ground, it washed over the oncoming spikes, freezing them in their place; no, freezing them in _time_. Seeing them lying still before her, Ida held up her scythe, the silver blade glistening in the dying sunlight and standing out in sharp contrast amongst the rising smoke.

Clockwork was the word that came to mind, and rightfully so on many levels. The weapon had been crafted by a girl who could control time itself with her Mystic Eyes. The shaft was a metal pole with emerald-green wrappings around the shaft and side handles. At the end of the shaft, where it and the blade connected was a circular clock gear; as with the rest of the weapon, it too possessed green highlights which stood out in sharp contrast to the steely gray and silver. White light flashed at the tip of the crescent blade while Ida grinned; she swung the weapon forward leaving several streaks of light in her wake. A second passed and the scythe was rested at her side.

Neither of the orphaned children took much time to marvel over the severed ends. The threat hadn't ended, in fact, it was following up its failed attack with another one. Ida and Akara twisted their bodies about as the rooftop beneath their feet cracked then exploded upward. Rising skyward was a giant fist with a piston-like stake at the end. Without a doubt if they'd been a second slower, then they would have been launched toward the evening sky, their bodies broken heaps. The magus' left arm had undergone a similar monstrous transformation, though once his green eyes caught sight of the two teens moving into position, the arm throbbed then began to transform itself again. Organic metal shifted and reconfigured from a piston-powered hand into a series of gun ports he leveled at his enemies. Each barrel flashed yellow, then unloaded its metallic payload.

_**DING! DING! DING! **_

The mysterious man smiled as he watched the scythe-user deflect his bullets. Deeming her to be the greater threat, especially on account of her Mystic Eyes, he turned his full attention to her. Yet again, his arms morphed become piston-like mallets that cast a shadow over the nineteen-year-old. He descended upon Ida like a falling meteor, a murderous grin on the Englishman's face. Ida returned that grin with one of her own.

Her eyes flashed green as her Mystic Eyes activated themselves. This time, the time pulse was centered on her legs, which glowed like polished emeralds. One minute she was in the line of sight of her oncoming foe, and the next she wasn't.

_**CLING! **_

"Wha?!" Snarled the chaos mage, realizing his target was no longer below him. Instead, she was now behind him, and she had a chain wrapped around his foot. Turning his head back, he saw Ida and Akara standing side by side, their hands on the shaft of the scythe. The bottom end held a chain that connected to his ankle, which had a reinforced steel chain wrapped around it. A curse flew from the Englishman's lips, but soon it became a smile as he raised one transformed right hand, now a single-edged blade.

The teenagers holding him didn't given him the chance to act. Their eyes flashed with determination as they pulled in unison. One possessed the upper limits of human strength, and the other possessed modified strength that came from nature's strongest predators. Together, they dragged the blond-haired man through the air, eventually bringing him down near the chaotic fighting that was unfolding between the Servants. Ida whipped her scythe back, dragging the chained bottom back.

Xandred paid little to no bid to his Master being slammed into the broken pavement just a little way's away from him. All he could focus on were the enemies in front of him. They were beginning to annoy him with their speedy natures. Then again, at heart, he wasn't using the full force of his power to crush them. No, while certainly fueled by his ever-present wrath, he was still enjoying himself. For weeks he'd sat quietly on his hands and knees filling his stomach with the finest sake this world had to offer. Presented before him were two foes for him to at least could give him something of a challenge; there was no need to end things just yet.

But he was getting annoyed with his inability to land anything more than a glancing blow on them. What blood he had drawn from them had been from the collateral damage of his swings. Xandred wanted to feel bones crack beneath his blade or his hands, feel flesh tear and lastly have blood splashed across the battlefield. Sure, he'd killed a few dozen civilians who hadn't been lucky enough to get out of the way, but they just weren't the same.

Raising his _zanbatō _up high, the Nighlok called upon the destructive power that lay within his sword, the draconic power. It pleasantly responded, howling for more destruction. The dragon insignia on the weapon exploded in red energy, as did the pearls clenched in its claws. Xandred's multiple eyes flashed with murderous glee seconds before he brought his weapon down in a forward swing.

Naturally, oblivion came next.

The red blast with twisting arcs of orange and black lightning, all which lashed out angrily as the destruction rolled on through. Everything within the wave's path was completely and utterly obliterate, which was why Diarmuid and Yan Qing sprinted as hard as they could to get out of the way. Neither of the Servants dared look back; their highly enhanced hearing painted a good enough picture for them. Both men winced as they heard screams mixed in, the agonized and horrified screaming of those who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their only solace was that death was instantaneous, that the pain they endured didn't last long.

Yan Qing's silent prayer was cut short as he sensed something amiss. Snapping his head to the right, he found himself staring into the six hateful eyes of Saber of Hell. His sword was still blazing with demonic energy, energy that was about to be launched. And he was right in the middle of it. The Chinese outlaw knew his chance of getting out of the way were slim, and his chances of surviving even a glancing blow were even similar.

Luckily, time was on his side.

Far to the right of the berserk warrior, a flash of green light erupted. Manifesting out of thin air appeared a massive clock whose hands came to a sudden and audible halt. The clicking resounded for blocks, catching the attention of the fleeing civilians and struggling law enforcement. It was the last thought in their minds before their bodies frozen in time, as did the world around them. Even the bellowing Saber was caught in the stasis wave, if only for a little while. Yan Qing had no idea how strong the demon's Magic Resistance was, but he prayed it was enough for him and Diarmuid to land a hit on the murderous creature. He saw out of the corner of his eyes, an elongated hand moving through the rumble and mayhem that had once been a block of Harlem.

It touched Diarmuid, freeing him to move, then Yan Qing next. Both Servants sped through the carnage towards Saber of Hell. The Assassin's hand reared back, right palm glowed with golden energy as his chi amassed itself within his dominant arm. Likewise, the Lancer reared back Gáe Budihe. The Yellow Rose's effects were ideal for dealing with an enemy like this, especially if he could score a blow on the legs or arms to immobilize the rampaging warrior.

Such direct and fully sensible plans the Chaldea-aligned Servants had, but it wasn't to be.

"You think…something like this will stop me_? FOOLS!_" Bloody red exploded from the Saber's body, which itself pulsated with unholy energy. The time stasis that had caught the Servant in its grasp was broken, allowing for him to move; allowing for him to _attack_. Xandred swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc, releasing a crackling energy wave that forced the two approaching Servants to evade. Diarmuid jumped upward while Yan Qing fell into a slide. Murderous rage flashed through the six yellow eyes as the Nighlok responded in quick order, swinging his sword in several arcs. Each one released an equally large and equally powerful energy slash that sped through the air towards their targets.

The two Servants had no choice but to put up their guard, they had to as the oncoming slashes were more than strong enough to knock them on their backs and leave them bloodied messes. For Diarmuid, it was tough but doable, twirling his twin lances at such high speeds while summoning the full magical power they each held within. It still hurt his arms like hell, as if he were parrying blows from Fergus' massive drill-sword, and then some. Yan Qing was in a tougher boat; he had no weapons save for his gauntlets. They were sturdy, but they could only take so much damage. Hell, the backlash from the monster's swings had already left several dents in them.

Still, Yan Qing did what he had to, twisting and turning and moving his arms at lightning speeds to parry. His chi ran through his arms, condensing in his forearms enough for him to weather the energy projectiles. It all still hurt, even when he managed to avoid the attacks by a hair's breadth.

But in the end, it was all nothing compared to the rough feel of the Saber's hand ruthlessly gripping the side of his face. Yan Qing had a second to curse himself for being too slow, then he wasn't able to think at all. Pain roared at him starting from his head then moving downward. He could taste blood and dust in his mouth, how he was able to even do so was a miracle considering the massive headache he now had. Again, it was preferable to what came next. Yan Qing was just barely aware of his body rising then being pummeled into the ground. It grew worse as something very large and very heavy slammed itself into his abdomen. The Chinese Servant screamed in pure agony as he felt his bones crack from the raw force.

"Ah, that sound, yes, that's what I've been longing for! The sound of pain! The sound of fear! With the cries of a Servant, my resurrection is almost complete!" Howled Saber of Hell, throwing his head back to the skies. Darkness had well and truly begun to set in, in every sense of the world. Fires raged about in all directions, illuminating the literal field of rubble that had once been several blocks of Harlem. Now they served as graves for the hundreds who'd already died in the crossfire. And foreshadowing for Earth's future. "Now, as for you, martial artist," Breathed out the Nighlok, a cloud of steam rolling off his fanged gums. "Give me your head!"

Yan Qing flinched as the _zanbatō _was raised skyward, the golden dragon engraving gleaming amongst the raging flames around them. The Chinese Assassin knew he didn't have a snowball's chance of freeing himself from the murderous monster's foot or surviving the oncoming hit, so he merely shut his eyes and waited for the end. Sure, he'd likely reform back at Chaldea, but the pain of decapitation would still hurt.

"Hands off of the Assassin!" Cried Ida, her form little more than an emerald blur as she moved at the speed of light through the flames and rumble that was the battlefield. The enemy Servant's eyes widened as he both heard her voice and registered her presence. He twisted his head around just in time to see her move past him, a visible breeze trailing her.

_**SLISH! **_

He'd waited and saw what Ida had done. Blood gushed from the back of Xandred's left leg, momentarily off-balancing him. It was just enough for Yan Qing to summon up the last of his strength and push his left foot off of his chest then roll away. Unfortunately, it served to give him a front-row seat to the other battle going on.

Akara and the enemy Master exploded from the ground, locked in combat of course. The latter was smiling like any battle maniac would in their situation, the former was not. Akara had completely scaled up, his body containing numerous dark green patches of rough skin that could something as powerful as a tank shell. It was warranted his opponent had done something similar to his own body, now a dark gray steel with red and black veins pulsating cross the metallic surface. He looked more machine than man, just as Akara looked more beast than man. It made their clash oddly fitting.

The teenager struck out with his claws, his opponent mirrored his actions with a murderous grin. Sparks flew from the clash of the two fighters, more followed as they went at one another with the glow of pure annihilation. Air continuously popped as reinforced scales met supernatural steel which could stand up to it. Beneath their feet, the ground cracked especially as they stepped back, then came at one another with a right and left cross jab. Their respective fists slammed into each other's cheeks, a visible shock wave of air fanning out around them. Blood leaked from their respective lips, the injuries they'd suffered were mere minor annoyances as the pair quickly separated then readied themselves for another go round.

Except the mysterious man disappeared. No, that wasn't quite right. Trails of smoke and embers flickered in front of Akara as his gaze flickered upward, where he saw his foe had fled. A set of propulsion thrusters had manifested on the back of his legs allowing him to take the skies. Akara cursed realizing he'd been outsmarted, and he was now directly in front of the charging Saber of Hell, who was screaming bloody murder as he raised his sword then brought it down like a reaper's scythe.

_**CRUNCH! **_

Reptilian eyes narrowed as the mighty blade cleaved through the earth and continued onward, creating a sizable fissure in the ground that brought down even more buildings in the distance. Akara knew he'd managed to avoid certain death by a mere hair's breadth; there wouldn't be a repeat.

Luckily, as Xandred prepared to flip his sword about, Diarmuid appeared above the red-bodied Saber, his spears diving straight for head and his face has a dark frown as evidence he'd grown tired of the battle. A resounding _cling! _boomed through the surrounding area as the demonic sword and magical spears met one another, neither side coming out the victor.

"We need to move this battle elsewhere! Someplace where we can actually try to hurt this bastard!" Snarled Ida as she and her surrogate brother regrouped alongside the winded Yan Qing. The genetically-altered orphan was already hard at work using what little magecraft he knew to heal the visible injuries done to the Assassin. "Think if we make a run for it, we can get Lobster-Face to follow us?"

"He's a violently insane and temperamental nutcase." Cracked the black-haired boy with a sideways sneer. His scales bristled in anticipation at what was to come- a run for his life; nothing new there. "The real question is, where can we move this battle to and how much destruction will he create in trying to follow us?"

"A crap ton." Quipped Yan Qing. He wasn't looking forward to enacting such a plan even though it was right up his alley. What they were discussing was basically how many people would have to die before they could make a stand.

Ida looked back at the battle between the inhuman Saber and the very-much human Lancer. Diarmuid was faster, but speed would only keep him alive for so long, especially as an aura of crimson malice began to overtake Saber of Hell's body. Ida had fought demons and other evil creatures before, and she knew if they didn't do something fast, then they were going to have to deal with more than just a few ruined blocks. Not to mention by this point, the police were more than likely on their way; she shuddered in picturing ordinary humans attempting to fight a monster such as what they were dealing with. Standing up, she rubbed her eyes, fighting off the coming haze that came with overusing her Mystic Eyes. Without a doubt by the end of this battle, her eyes would be bleeding red, but hopefully this Servant would be back on the Throne of Heroes or whatever it came from. And the rest of them would be alive.

Turning her attention upward, she found the mysterious blond hovering just above the mayhem, watching it all with a twisted smile. Ida returned it with one of her own. "I know a place, and I've got a plan on how to get Mister Angry to follow us. If he's a monster, then odds are he holds very monstrous views of humanity…and what exactly are the three of us?"

"Charming, psychotic, and scaly?" Chuckled the Chinese Assassin while Akara playfully rolled his eyes.

The German-Syrian's grin grew wider, even as the ground beneath her feet shook like the prelude to a volcanic eruption. Her face was illuminated by the surrounding fires, revealing the mad gleam in her eyes. "Wonder how Helena and Ryoko are doing, they're probably having way more fun than we are."

* * *

_**Midtown Test, 7:55 PM…**_

"Is that the best you got, jackass!? Come on, I've seen hatchlings with more firepower than you, and they have bigger wings!"

"She seems to enjoy trash-talking, doesn't she?" Dryly remarked the Knight Wolf, watching the anger filled up his opponent's face. Truthfully, he actually found something amusing in watching his oldest Master continuously poke at the Demon Prince. The winged specter was incredibly easy to provoke and read, so much so it was almost criminal.

"Well, our mom did train us well." Cracked the younger sister with a sly grin. While Ryoko was the more reserved one, that didn't mean she didn't know how to take pleasure in watching others get riled up, doubly so when it was her enemies. On one hand, she knew Helena was feeding a fire that was already raging out of control, but on the other, she couldn't help but take some amusement in watching the so-called Prince of Demons lose his cool again and again. It was a dangerous game, one that could end in their deaths or those of the people below them, the innocents of New York City.

Thankfully, luck seemed to be on their side, if only for the moment.

The sisters taunting had utterly captured Olympius' attention, sending him into a greater blind rage than he had been when their battle started. Why wouldn't he be angry? He was the Prince of Demons, and he'd been stalemated by a traitorous knight and his human Masters! It was unbearable, disgraceful!

Such an atrocity couldn't continue to stay so Olympius had vowed to himself that he'd have all three of their heads by the time the moon reached its peak in the sky at midnight.

Unfortunately, the trio had proved more difficult to put down than he'd originally thought.

He cursed the human girls, yet secretly, deep in his demonic hearts, he gave them begrudging respect. Fire burnt all in its path, such was its nature. To those who sought to claim its power, should they prove worthy, they would find not even the highest of flames could hurt them. It was looking like the famed "Fujimaru Sisters" were two such mortals.

Both girls had been hit by his fire, demonic and draconic flames that could burn even reinforced steel into ashes, yet they were still coming at him strong and fast. Nay, they were _stronger_ and _faster_. He hit the pair with fire, hoping their mortal bodies would reach their limits and give out. Instead, they absorbed his fiery attacks through either their mouths, noses, or just through their bodies. Each time they glowed with a bright orange aura that was preceded by them launching a furious assault that was often followed up by a hard-hitting attack from their Servant. Arguably, _he _was the one whom Olympius felt his rage burn hottest against. Unlike the latter two, the Knight Wolf wasn't immune to fire.

But he sure did have some durability.

"I heard tales of you in the Shadow World." Snarled the winged Lancer as the two locked blades, the rooftop beneath them already showing signs of cracking and breaking apart. "Admittedly, I wanted to clash blades against you…but to find you in this state, serving a pair of despicable humans! Disgraceful! What would your Master think of you!?"

A hint of anger flashed through the Knight Wolf's visor revealing a singular red eye that glared at the prince with contained fury. "All I am doing is following through on my way of life, loyalty to one's lord! I have taken a vow of loyalty to those girls!" The lock was broken and demonic steel clashed against demonic steel, orange and black sparks flying in all directions. Their blades beat against one another with the resulting force taking its toll on the ground beneath them. "I will follow that oath of loyalty through to its end!"

Raw demonic energy condensed into the two blades on both ends of the lance. Within the empty sockets of the dragon skull cross guards, crimson light erupted, the demonic inscriptions on each blade followed suit. "A demon swearing an oath of loyalty to a human!? Despicable!" The weapon left a trail as it was swung about in a wide overhead arch aimed at the knight's shoulder.

What it meant was the purple and silver shield, which held strong against the demonic blade, even as the ground beneath its wielder shattered completely.

As they both began to fall, Koragg shot an acute glare in the direction of his opponent. "Are you not a Servant like myself? Hypocritical, are you, prince?"

Olympius' mouth twisted into a ferocious snarl that would have frightened even his fellow demons. The double-sided lance was reared back then swung forward, this time from the left side.

_**THUNK! **_

"What?!"

"Again," the dark-armored knight repeated, a slight chuckle in his voice. "You'd do well not to underestimate these girls. They are _my _Masters."

Just as he'd found himself bound by the fiery fabric that made up the flags of the Fujimaru Sisters, so too did Olympius. His brief moment of shock was all the girls needed to summon up all of their strength and pull, immobilizing both of his arms. It would only last for a few seconds at best, but that was all Koragg needed. His right fist tightened, then launched forward, slamming into the exposed abdomen of his opponent. A gasp left his fanged lips, a second came when he delivered a perfectly executed spin kick that the Knight Wolf knew cracked at least one rib in his opponent's body. The sound was audible to the two human girls stationed above the fighters. They quickly pulled upward, lifting their stunned opponent into the air. A stream of profanities and threats followed him all the way up. As did a purple blur that moved in behind him.

Helena and Ryoko let go, and watched in joy as their Servant summoned forth a magical circle which his fist passed through on its way to another punch. What came out was a familiar giant arm that launched the red-scaled Lancer through the air like a softball.

"Nice punch, think you can teach me that trick?" Quipped Helena, watching the demonic dragon soar.

"I believe you are capable of such feats already." Calmly responded the swordsman, his feet resting on a solid magical circle that kept him afloat in the air. "Besides, you and your sister can manifest the scales of the dragon to enhance your already formable attack power. More would simply be overkill."

"Well, you know what they say, there's no kill quite like overkill." Responded the long-haired sister with a shrug.

"Besides, if this guy's any indication, we're going to need it." Remarked Ryoko, noting how their opponent came to a sudden stop in the air. She knew what was coming next. "We really should have kept on attacking instead of made small talk."

The red arrow that was Lancer of Hell came at the trio, leaving fiery trails in its wake. Heeding the quick command of their Servant, the Dragon Witches moved behind him; Koragg raised his shield, the plates sliding open to reveal the Master's Eye which glowed crimson. Amidst the light of the surrounding skyscrapers, a translucent red barrier appeared around them. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience, but Koragg was confident it would hold and give them the opportunity to counterattack.

At least until he saw the dark grin on the flying demon's face. That's how he knew something was up.

"Helena, Ryoko, move away, now!" He barked.

Without missing a beat, the girls responded, having full trust in their Servant. His warning proved accurate as the blazing mass approaching them vanished in a haze of embers. The girls cursed, searching with their senses for the Lancer.

They found him just as he chose to reappear. Koragg spun about, Darkalibur blazing dark, purple, and red in his hands. In turn, Olympius' Salamandes Spear encased in black, red, and purple flames was leveled at the knight.

_**BOOOM! **_

For Helena and Ryoko, their enhanced ears hurt so badly from the explosion that they covered their ears. Hundreds of feet below them, where ordinary people were attempting to live their lives, the sound was probably even worse. There was a good chance some died from the shock alone. Either that or the magical fallout.

_**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!**_

An idea came to Koragg, one that would be costly to him, but could perhaps end the stalemate he and his opponent were in. He dismissed both of his armaments, leaving himself barehanded. Olympius paid it no mind as he angled the spear for his opponent's chest, then thrust it with all his might. A magic circle appeared on each of the knight's palms, which he slammed together seconds before his foe's weapon could penetrate his chest. Arcs of violet-colored lightning as the two-sided spear was halted in its tracks. Its owner snarled in frustration as he prepared to continue to push forward. That didn't happen as his body suddenly came under a violent seizure, paralyzing him. With a muffled cry, Olympius realized that the surge of magical energy running through him was a paralysis spell, one that he'd walked right into.

Koragg threw his spear to the side, then grabbed at the Lancer's stunned right arm. With a mighty grunt, he heaved the draconic demon over his shoulder in a judo throw that would have gotten a perfect scoring from observing judges. Olympius fell through several stories of a nearby hotel, the glass windows bursting from the thunderous pressure. Before he'd even stopped falling, Koragg recalled Darkalibur and angled it at his enemy's chest. Without a word, he began to descend downward, intent on ending Lancer of Hell's life.

Lying on his back amidst the rumble, Olympius sneered at him, but the sneer quickly morphed into an insidious smile. Koragg caught the facial expression and went on immediate guard.

Upon the dragon demon's chest appeared a star-like gem which radiated scarlet light. Similar colored lights lit up the veins in his chest and throat; Olympius' mouth opened, wisps of blacken flames escaping from his mouth.

Koragg halted his attack, instantly summoning his shield as the torrent of hellfire burst from the mouth of the son of the Demon Queen.

"Woah!" Cried both girls from their nearby rooftop. Their blue eyes widened as they watched the massive pillar of black and red flames shoot skyward, completely decimating the seven-story hotel the Servants had been fighting above.

"Um, I think we need to speed the plan up." Muttered Helena, realizing that their opponent had far more destructive power than they'd realized.

"You think." Snorted the younger sister, manifesting her trident. The three-pronged weapon easily towered over the short-haired witch's small five-foot frame, a fact she was highly aware of. In such close proximity to the battle, the trident began to vibrate with excitement. It wanted to drain the demonic power from the demonic Lancer that had engaged the Dragon Witches, soon Ryoko's weapon would have the opportunity. "Have Horatio at the ready, we're only going to get one shot at this!"

Neither of the girls were strangers to the unholy flames that blazed in the bowels of the Inferno. Seeing a massive torrent of it bursting in front of them wasn't a deterrent, it was a challenge.

As the sisters had hoped, Koragg was none the worse for wear thanks to his shield. Sure, portions of his armor had been scorched black, but he and Olympius were going back at one another in the air. Beneath them lay the blackened remains of what had once been one of Midtown West's many prominent hotels. It would be a long time before anything could be built over the area has what was scorched by hellfire could count as "cursed" by the demonic nature of the flames.

Ethereal wings manifested on Ryoko's back as she flew headlong into the fray, her weapon of choice practically screaming just as she did catching the Lancer's attention. To the latter's shock, she remained strong when their polearms met, a gust of wind blowing across the night sky.

"You counted me out early, didn't you?" Snarled the youngest of the Fujimaru Family, her face twisted into a dark expression that could have chilled flames.

Olympius returned the angry sneer with a dismissive snort. "But of course, from what I hear you are the hatchling of the Fujimaru Family. What threat can you pose to a being like me?"

Her sneer morphed into a cruel smile, an expression she likely inherited from her mother, the Dragon Witch of Orleans. "What, you mean you can't feel it? Gotta say, it's been a while since Crourone-Brisant has had dragon energy to feed on." Ryoko's grin deepened as her Servant foe realized what had been happening, or rather, what kind of weapon she wielded as her weapon of choice. Olympius' eyes darted to his spear; finally, he took notice of how the weapon's unholy glow was dimming…and the turquoise gemstone at the base of Ryoko's trident was growing in luminous. "Koragg, now!"

The Knight Wolf came in like a living comet, smashing into their opponent with his shield; the pair went soaring across the skyline, skidding through railings and rooftops. An explosion of violet and red lit burst as Koragg launched a close-range attack from his shield. Seconds later and the knight was pushed back by a powerful jet of flames that burst from the tip of the demonic Lancer's spear. Olympius hunched forward, his gaze shifting between Ryoko and Koragg as if trying to decide which of them to go after. His choice was made for him as the third member of the trio made her move.

At the last second, Olympius raised his dual-sided spear upward just in time to put up a barrier that just barely held against the massive, golden-colored lightning bolt that fell from the sky. More bolts of lightning fell, fusing with the first bolt to form a continuous downpour that penetrated the barrier and hit Olympius. Within seconds, the dragon demon felt the magical lightning penetrating his draconic scales and paralyzing his nervous system. Through the pain and humiliation, he was forced to concede that he'd further underestimated his opponents. Through the pain, he cracked open his eyes and focused on the third member of the trio, the older Dragon Witch. She wasn't alone.

Her hands were clapped together, her broadsword planted in the ground. She was synchronizing her magical energy with that of the creature she'd summoned. Rage boiled within the Lancer, seeing at the creature that was behind the lightning attack wasn't a dragon, it was a demon much like him. One possessing a skeletal motif. Its clawed arms and wings were outstretched as an aura of gold and white lined its body. Briefly, Olympius locked eyes with the demon.

As with Koragg, it was hatred at first sight.

Speaking of the Knight Wolf, he and Ryoko made their move while he was paralyzed. One was a meteor of pure dark energy while the other was one of the flames. Together, they slammed into the Lancer's abdomen, propelling him through the air like a rocket. Olympius roared in furious denial at combined assault. His teeth gnashed as he attempted to throw them off, but he found they'd thrown their all into this torpedo assault. The attack wasn't complete yet.

"Hey, hope you haven't forgotten about us!" Shouted the oldest Dragon Witch.

A second meteor of fire and meteor of lightning combined with the first, two creating a quadruple force that not even the son of Queen Bansheera could resist. He was outnumbered and thus overpowered.

He despised it with every fiber of his being.

_No! No! No! No! NO!_

Above the heads of civilians, police officers, and emergency workers were the strangest, most surreal light show in New York City's history unfolded. A blazing hot star of destructive malice pushed against a multi-elemental mass of energy that glowed with light and darkness. It was the power of one against the power of many, the clash moving across the sky leaving a trail of fire and darkness in its wake. Shock waves of both burst from the struggle, incinerating anything unfortunate enough to be in their path. Naturally, many ran for cover with panic screams, even without the insistence of the men and women who'd taken an oath to protect them. In their minds, even they wondered exactly what in the hell was going on. These thoughts persisted even after the two forces left their field of vision, vanishing behind the countless network of skyscrapers that made up the City that Never Sleeps.

Finally, it all came to an end as the unified front of humans and demons achieved its goal.

* * *

Agents stationed on the streets saw the struggle with baited breaths that were finally released once they passed the threshold into Central Park.

"They're through! I repeat, they're through!" Shouted one operative into his com-link.

Immediately, the Chaldea operatives sprang into action. Hours-long incantations at last came to an end as men and women stationed around the eight-hundred arc park threw their arms out. Coordinating their efforts was none other than the "Father of Alchemy," Paracelsus Von Hohenheim himself. Azure light exploded from his body, shredding the modern disguise he'd donned to avoid arousing suspicion. Burning bright in his right hand was a Philosopher's Stone, one crafted by himself. Around the park, similar stones glowed brightly in the palms of the selected magi who aided him in casting the expansive Bounded Field. Said Bounded Field exploded into existence before the eyes of the hundreds of Chaldea operatives who'd cornered off the area.

And a few stranglers who'd remained behind. What they were treated to was a sight that would remain engraved in their minds and no doubt find its way onto the internet, creating a headache for the organization's tech division.

All at once, an azure-colored glass barrier materialized out of thin air, square-shaped panels manifesting one after another until they all came together in the form of a massive rectangular box, encasing the famed urban park. The barrier remained visible for a full minute, then it became little more than a trick of light, at least to the unassuming and spiritually inept. For those with a shred of awareness of the barrier remained visible. Grand as it was, it couldn't block out the immense waves of dread and raw power borne from the clash of superhuman entities whose existence defied modern rationality.

It was arguably worse for the Chaldea operatives stationed around the four corners of Central Park. Hundreds of men and women, some holding up the barrier, others guarding them, and the rest attempting to help coordinate relief efforts. They all had front-row seats to the continued battle being waged inside of the now enclosed space. For most, all they could do was pray that the mysterious dark knight summoned by the Fujimaru Sisters emerged victorious along with their own.

Stepping up to Paracelsus' side was a tan-skinned operative, a cigarette loosely hanging from his lips. "Paracelsus, I won't beat around the bush; how long can you and the others keep this barrier held up?"

The legendary alchemist was sweating, though it wasn't from the effort of maintaining the barrier. No, it was from worry. "Were we dealing with normal Servants, Matthew, I'd say for a good three days. For Servants such as this Saber and Lancer of Hell, I honestly do not know. Had I more time to study them, then I could have perhaps come up with a more effective barrier. Their demonic power…it's unlike anything I've ever felt or encountered, more so than the Demon Pillars."

An eyebrow was raised, "Is it because these guys are actual, I don't know, demons?"

In spite of the situation, the alchemist managed to laugh. That was one reason why he commonly partnered up with the Native American descended operative. He had a peculiar sense of humor that Paracelsus couldn't help but find charming. That, and in spite of not being a magus himself, Matthew Larson knew quite a bit about its ways, and how to deal with problems surrounding them.

"I suppose that's one way to look at it. Another is the strength of the Noble Phantasms they're wielding. Koragg's Darkalibur seems to have been a prelude to these new marvels." Answered the long-haired Caster.

As if to mock him, a series of explosions and rumbles echoed from within the sealed-off space. This didn't go unnoticed by either the Servant or the Chaldea operative.

"Interesting way to look at what are clearly weapons of pure evil and destruction. Then again, we've got a few of those lying around in Chaldea." Breathing out a cloud of smoke, the senior agent turned to his fellow operatives, several of whom were operating radios and long on their phones attempting to coordinate the relief effort. "Any word of any more incidents? What about Ritsuka's group? Any word from him or anyone stationed at the UN Building?"

"No sir, but we're going to keep on trying!"

"So far, we're picking up major energy readings from the area, and they're still growing! In fact, they're similar to the ones we traced on our way here!"

"The **Ley lines**." Came the tightened voice of the famed magus. All eyes turned to Paracelsus, whose vision remained deadest on the park. It was entirely possible he was seeing what was going on through the barrier he and the other magi had put up. If he looked away, God knew what could happen to them all. "These chaos mages…these people…they're after the city's Ley lines. The locations they were spotted at such as the United Nations Building, all of them sit upon the city's Ley lines. I believe their goal is harnessing their power, or given their demonic nature, corrupting them."

"Then we better not waste any more time!" The cigar was thrown to the ground and stomped on. Matthew placed his fingers to his earpiece which connected to the communications network they'd established. "I want operatives at every reported sight! Now! Cursed Arm, EMIYA, you're with Teams E and G respectively! Anything tries to stop you, kill them! No questions asked about this!"

Even before they'd made landfall, it was clear that the situation was grave. Things had only gotten more severe once they touched down and engaged these mysterious enemies and Servants. It was clear that now wasn't the time for games, nor was it the time to be holding back. The last bit went especially true for the Chaldea operatives within the barrier. Ultimately, how the battle went rested on them.

* * *

_**Central Park, 8:11 PM…**_

Their plan worked, though it'd came with a bit more pain than either of the Fujimaru Sisters originally thought. Lancer of Hell hadn't gone quietly, and he sure as hell wasn't taking the forced move well.

At the very least, they managed to ram their target into the ground and leave a nice skid mark before he forced them back. Koragg and Horatio took to catching the two teenage girls, the former holding onto Helena while the latter caught Ryoko in his bony three-pronged claws. The two demons stood hunched over while Olympius bellowed in a fiery rage, burning the surrounding greenery to ashes.

"So, you're **Horatio**, one of Helena's sworn familiars?" Questioned the knight, giving the skull-themed demon a sideways glance.

The title "demon" certainly fit, though from what Helena had told him, the lightning-attributed creature was technically a "fiend", a more aggressive and nastier subspecies of demons. Koragg knew of the race, they all possessed a skeletal motif, something that the creature beside him certainly adhered to.

To be precise, there was no skin to speak of, only a boney-white, at times spiked skeleton that wrapped around muscles composed of magenta muscle sinew that normally would have been hidden by skin. Some parts of the creature's body, bone and "flesh" had been charred black much like Koragg's armor. Streams of blood sipped from the wounds, staining the grass red. Like humans, the creature's blood was red, though Koragg also spotted a few black droplets mixed in as well. At either side of the skull-like head were downward facing horns. They merely added to the face, which seemed forever bent into a raging snarl. Still, not rage but genuine curiosity shined in the pure emerald green eyes of the demon as it turned to face Koragg.

He was being sized up. "I am, and you're the new guy I take it. Hm, a demon that is a knight, been quite a while since I encountered one such as yourself, in both mannerisms and power."

"Helena tells me you're one of her strongest familiars, surpassing even some of her dragons."

"You mean to see if that is true?"

"I like to."

"Ahem!" Both demonic beings looked down to find the Dragon Witches, looking at them with amusement in their eyes. More so on Ryoko, who rolled her eyes as if someone had just told a pleasant joker. Helena, meanwhile, was outright giggling.

"I knew you two would hit it off! After all of this is over, I'll have to think of a nice private little place for you two so you can get to know each other."

The unholy duo looked at their joint mistress then back to the foe before them. "No need." Began Koragg, getting back into a fighting stance.

"This battle here will do nicely." Remarked the skull-themed demon, lightning arced up his spine and through his black claws. Like Koragg, he too was bouncing with excitement at the coming battle. Now that they were in a sealed-off space, they could truly cut loose. Granted, such notions went for their enemy just as well as them.

"Hey, Prince Douchebag! If you wanna throw down your spear and surrender, now's the time!" Barked Helena, pointing the business end of her broadsword at the recovered demon dragon.

Rather than give a biting retort or insult, Lancer of Hell burst into laughter. It was laughter that Helena and Ryoko knew quite well. It was the laughter of not one that was cornered, but of one who was just ready to begin truly fighting. "Surrender? Surrender!? HAHAHAHAH! Why should I throw down my spear when at least it seems I have something of a worthy challenge! Two race traitors and a pair of human brats…I'll admit, you lot are the first true challenge I've had since being summoned. You'll be fine preludes to my conquest of this world. Yes, I will crush your bone and burn the flesh from your bodies, perhaps for you two traitors I may even devour your hearts and use them to fuel my own power. A worthy end and way for you lot to redeem yourselves for your transgressions. Better an end at my claws…then the rest of the filthy that has been summoned!" In a split second, draconic power amassed within Olympius' throat and exploded outward in the form of a mighty stream of roaring fire that scorched the park, grounds black as it sailed toward the group.

The dark knight stepped forward, his shield opening to reveal its unholy mystical power source. Around the four appeared a dark magic barrier that stood strong against the blazing torrent. Albeit, it came at the cost of the surrounding greenery, which was incinerated in an instant from the intense heat. As the barrier held, Horatio took to the skies, his wings cleaving through the air as he rose and took aim with his Electrokinetic powers. From his body came a bolt of crackling lightning aimed straight at the demon prince.

Seeing the attack coming, Olympius shut his mouth ceasing his breath attack and parried with his two-sided lance. An excited thrill ran through him as he noticed the Dragon Witches surging toward him, their weapons pulled back and ready to cut into his draconic scales. Grinning with malicious glee, he slammed his palm into the ground thus sending his own dark magical energy into the earth. Ahead of him, the ground erupted in various pillars of violet-colored light which promptly exploded like a series of landmines. With the human girls taken care of, he took off with his wings, rearing to meet the newly summoned demon in the air.

The two did indeed meet, the fiend of lightning clashing with the fire demon in a collision that sent their respective elements cascading across the battlefield, causing the trees and grass to catch fire. It became immediately clear who held the upper hand in terms of raw strength. In spite of being outmatched, Horatio held up against the burning hot edge of the two-sided spear and hit back as best he could with his electrified claws. Throughout the fierce struggle, the expressions of the two demonic fighters became stark contrast. Horatio's already fearsome vintage grew fouler as he channeled demonic lightning through his body, causing his muscles to bulge. Olympius' smile was practically splitting his face, rushing through his veins was a dark glee he'd never admit to feeling, not against such "disgusting" foes such as this.

Miles away, had his Master been paying attention, he might have felt the surging joy within his Servant. It appeared the Demon Prince's warrior spirit was beginning to awaken.

Sensing an incoming attack, Olympius readied his wings to fly away, and did exactly that when Koragg came surging upward as he and Horatio separated. He used his unholy-holy sword as a jet propeller to get into the air; after his initial assault missed, he quickly slid into the next one. Seeing the Knight Wolf awoke the anger inside of the draconic demon, whom immediately went on a furious assault with his Salamandes Spear. The weapon was countered by the darkness and dark-light powered sword of the knight; once again, the two weapons and their owners fell into a destructive dance, so strong were the blow back from their attacks that the crystalline barrier around them continuously pulsated and throbbed as if it too were feeling the pressure of the duel.

Finally, the two fighters came down, shattering the scorched earth beneath their feet; their deadly dance continued. Both took a step back, then spun about with their blades leveled at one another.

Koragg didn't flinch as he hit nothing but empty air and scattering embers. Seeing that trick once was enough for him. Already, he'd deduced the energy trail left by his opponent. "Horatio, forty degrees to the left!"

Body crackling with lightning, the skull-themed demon followed the instructions of the Saber-class Servant and hurled several bullets of lightning in that direction. His multiple attacks met multiple fireballs lighting up the urban park. Several more fireballs came soaring out of the resulting smokescreen. Suddenly, the projectiles diverted from their predestined destination, to the confusion of their sender. Paying it no mind, Olympius hurled his spear directly at the lightning fiend, hoping it would end with a nice clean impalement.

He almost got his wish; seconds before the sharpen tip could penetrate his flesh, Horatio morphed into a bolt of lightning that raced over the ground.

Olympius attention was distracted from the bolt as he felt a surge of magical energy below him. Looking down, he sneered at the sight of a quick-forming magical circle. "Attempting to bind me again, pathetic!" Flexing his muscles, he blew the spell away, his body expelling a flame-like aura that singed the already charred ground around him.

"It wasn't meant to bind you, dumbass," Came the Ryoko Fujimaru's voice, emerging from the ground with her trident and flag pole in both hands. "It was a distraction!"

Seconds later, the other Fujimaru emerged from the ground, her left hand held out for the traveling lightning bolt which came to rest in the palm of her hands. Briefly, it took on the horned and skull-like head of the lightning fiend. Helena slammed the crackling mass of spiritual essence into Feucoeur, causing the blade to burst not with flames but golden bolts of lightning. Letting out a hearty war cry, she got in close and brought the weapon down in a vertical arc that connected with Olympius' red-scaled arms.

"Damn you, girl!" Barked the Lancer, feeling white-hot pain penetrates his scales and entering his nervous system. He was hurt, this infernal human brat had managed to wound him!

Helena returned his sneer as she watched scales and blood fly from Lancer of Hell's arms. "Since fire doesn't seem to work on you, we thought we'd try something else! Just imagine once we get you into a nice cool bath! Otherwise-"

"-Darkness will just as well!" Boomed the voice of the dark knight.

_**SLISH! **_

"YOU FILTHY TRAITOR! YOU DARE WOUND ME?!" Bellowed Olympius, blood gushing from his now injured right arm. The pain was excruciating to the point he felt like his entire right arm had gone numb! This feeling, yes, he'd felt it before! The sword his enemy carried was a-!

"This is a battle, come prepared to bleed or don't come at all!" Both hands were on the hilt of the mystical-forged sword, a line of jet-black and purple and red-lined energy emitting from it. Helena fell back knowing what kind of explosive clash was coming.

Raw hatred allowed Olympius to power through the pain and make use of his right arm. His spear returned to him, and was swung with the intention of meeting Saber's sword.

"YOU'RE MINE!"

The thunderous voice shook all four combatants. Attention went from the two dark magic-users to the red blur rampaging through the forest, coming directly at them.

"No! No, not you! He's mine, you filthy overgrown lobster!" Screamed Olympius, quickly diverting his attention. Across from him, Koragg did the same.

Behind his visor, the spiritual eyes of the dark warrior widened as he registered what it was coming after him. _Well, this is certainly turning into an interesting venture. _It was quite a thought to have seconds before his sword met the giant _zanbatō_ belonging to the leader of the Ayakashi.

Koragg stood strong at the cost of the ground behind him, which completely ruptured and flipped upward, dust and debris blasting outward and sweeping through the burning trees and bushes. Helena and Ryoko shielded their eyes, but not their ears and sixth senses. What they felt was anger, the pure unbridled rage that could only have belonged to a Berserker. Or so they thought.

"Ah, now this is what I call a show! Finally, Saber versus Saber, and so early in the war!" Cried a gleeful voice the sisters immediately attempted to locate.

Again, the answer came to them instead of them having to search for it. Turning to their right, they were greeted with the sight of their friends, Ida and Akara, skidding across the ground in front of them. Like the sisters, they too were bleeding from their arms, faces, and legs, a testament to the intensity of the battle they'd been in.

"So, I guess we're destroying Central Park, aren't we?" Declared Akara, looking back at the Dragon Witches with a crooked smile.

All they did was smile at him. "Yep, looks like it. Kinda feel bad about it though. Scratch that, _really _bad." Admitted Helena. The entirety of her left sleeve had been blown away and a scorch mark had formed along her left forearm. Still, it wasn't enough to completely disable the usage of the limb. "So, um, who's Lobster-Face over there?"

"Saber of Hell." Ida answered, swinging around to face the sisters with her scythe slung over her shoulders. She took a smidgen of pleasure in watching the eyes of the Dragon Witches widen. "Hey, you wanna go ask him for details, be my guest, but hands off his Master. He's ours."

_**Boom! **_

The four turned in unison to see a violent plume of fire rising from the patch of dirt the two swordsmen had previously been fighting on. Apparently, a certain someone wasn't happy with the intrusion.

"You overgrown buffoon! How dare you! How dare you!" Screeched the Lancer, pointing one end of his spear at the giant demonic multi-eyed being. "This traitorous piece of filth is mine to deal with!"

From the outlook, it seemed very possible that the crustacean-based monster man seemed ready to cut down the demonic dragonman right there. "Your whining means as much to me as the dirt beneath my feet! Out of my way, hatchling, this so-called knight will fall by my blade!"

"Like hell he is, and how dare you! I am true royalty unlike you, you overgrown crab!" Shot back Olympius.

"Do you want me to cut you down, whelp!?"

"I'll happily take on both of you if that is your wish, I'll rather enjoy the exercise." Quipped the mystical knight from his place amongst the teenagers. Naturally, his words drew the attention, or rather ire, of both Servants.

The teenagers laughed, as did the outlaw and handsome-faced Celtic warrior.

"Now, now, I know your warrior spirit has been aroused, but I'd request that you leave some for us, Knight Wolf. We did encounter this brute first." Came the voice of Diarmuid of the Love Spot, his battered body appearing behind Ida with Yan Qing, who visibly wobbled as he stood up.

"Nope, Diarmuid here is speaking entirely for himself. You guys are free to have these two nutcases all to yourself. I'll just sit by and watch the bloodshed from the trees." Waved off the long-haired Assassin.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Yan Qing, but at this rate, there won't be any more trees for you to hide behind. Besides, we'll need you to deal with _him_." Ryoko said, pointing her draconic trident at the human standing at the side of the two arguing demons. In a single glance she could tell this man had to die for their survival, and perhaps for the good of the millions of innocent people beyond the Bounded Field around them.

She wasn't entirely wrong.

Throwing back his head, the British man roared with laughter, even as the two demonic Servants beside him continued to threaten each other. "Deal with me, ah, you recognize me as a threat! I'm flattered!" His body was metallic, tribal design-like engravings that flowed with multi-colored light glowing and humming. It was a rather distinct form of magecraft, if it was even magecraft at all. The fact that he still breathed and Ida and Akara were wounded was enough for the sisters to view the man as a credible threat. "I gotta say, I'm helluva glad I came out here to the states! I wanted to meet your old man and mum, but meeting the legendary Helena and Ryoko Fujimaru…you girls live up to the hype, especially seeing you tamed a Morlock like 'ole Koragg there."

The curtain of tension tightened, especially around the Chaldea natives. In particular, Helena and Ryoko fell into combat positions, as did Koragg. His gaze moved from the squabbling Servants to the blonde-haired human. Something about him caused his supernatural blood to race and throb in warning.

"Ah, dropped a little bombshell, didn't I? Oh, I know all about the world you came from, Mister Knight Wolf. Quite a reputation you got there, if I do say so myself. Gotta say, I actually wouldn't mind having you as my own Servant." Cracked the British magus, holding up his right hand. It clenched into a metallic fist a second later as his grin turned murderous. "But I'm happy with Xandred here! Now he _really _knows how to show a warmongering bastard like me a good time! A pair of modern-day witches, the last survivor of the Altemose Clan, and a human chimera, you kids better give me a good fight!"

Sensing the shift in the mood, the Olympius and Xandred ceased their squabbling. It would be a race, a competition between the prince and the eastern demon over who could claim the Knight Wolf's head first. After him, the rest of the entourage would follow.

Helena raised her sword and pointed it at the murderous trio, a feral smile on her face. "That's a lot of big talk, metal-face. You should watch your mouth or you may find you've been bitten off more than you can chew. Everything we've thrown at you until now, it wasn't even half of our full power."

"Oh, I'm hoping so!" Cackled the older man, maniacal glee dancing in his green eyes. "We've got a nice little cage around us to make sure there aren't any interruptions for a little while, so let's enjoy ourselves! A nice good bloody fight to the death for the fate of this city! A lovely prelude to a new world! A brand new hell!"

"Hell, is that what you want?" Questioned the oldest daughter of the Savior of Human History and the Dragon Witch of Orleans. Her expression turned positively demonic as her broadsword shifted color from orange and yellow to pitch-black, the engraving on the blade rearranging itself. "Fine then, we'll see you there ourselves!"

At her words, Koragg kicked off the dirt, as did the Diarmuid and Yan Qing. Across from them, Olympius and Xandred did the same. Following close behind them were the five humans, four against one.

All of their minds had been set to a single setting-kill.

* * *

_**8:30 PM…**_

"My, my, seems we've succeeded in kicking off this war with a bang, haven't we?" Chirped the female chaos mage with evident amusement. Her fingers lightly tuned the strings of her guitar. The melody rode the wind, rising higher above the sounds of the city around them.

The white-clad Servant enjoyed it as he leaned his head back and lost himself in the melody while looking at the moon. Music was always a bittersweet pleasure for him. It reminded him of memories, fond memories, yet the memories weren't _truly _his own. No, very little was his own, not even the form he currently inhabited. Still, he had them, they were what had been given to him thus he would make use of them. He would enjoy them.

"Hey, if you wanna go down there and join in, I won't stop you. If you want, I could slaughter one of the encampments and plug open a hole for you." Offered his Master. One look at her crackling azure-eyes told him that she was hoping he'd say yes. While not the most openly bloodthirsty of the Anjhat Angra, the musician was still an out-and-out sadist. Her sadism just manifested in different ways other than naked brutality like Ebner and Lloyd's.

The warrior could respect that. While he couldn't quite say his bloodlust matched hers, her cruelty was a trait he found oddly appealing in spite of sometimes being repulsed by its vast lengths. It was an odd duality. But then again, from what he understood, humanity was an odd thing. He looked forward to learning more about it, just as the Knight Wolf down below would on his journey of self-discovery. "Tempting, but no. The brawl's a tad bit too boorish for me so I'll just sit back and watch. Besides, someone has to be on standby in case things take an unexpected turn." He finally answered.

Fiendish giggles fell from the black-painted lips of the Half-German singer. She continued to play, a dark yet beautiful melody that reached the ears of the thousands of scared and horrified masses beneath them. "Point. But would that be such a bad thing?"

He looked away from the moon, which finally emerged from behind a sheet of clouds that had drifted over the night sky. Illuminated in the pale light was the white bodysuit complete with menacing black stripes that adorned the legs and shoulders and arms. Nothing was reflected in the red visor that stared back at the chaos sorcerer, and that's precisely what excited her. Well, that and the deeply masculine and booming voice that came through the helmet. "No, it isn't. After all, without the unexpected life, things would be incredibly boring, Maria."

Chuckling darkly, he turned back to the barrier, watching the epic clash between his allies and Chaldea. Subconsciously, his hand moved to his holstered weapon, a curved dagger with a tupuxuara head adorning the end of the hilt. His hand was trembling.

It was trembling with excitement.

* * *

**Alright, so that makes THREE Servants of the Hell Faction revealed. You're all free to guess on who this third new villain is, and I'm pretty sure you PR fans will have a pretty good idea who he is. Now, can you guess what CLASS he is? He's something of a favorite of mine amongst the Hell Faction's rooster. **

**Speaking of villains, I'm hoping I kept Xandred and Olympius in-character during their fight scenes, and recreated their fighting styles faithfully. For Xandred, I don't feel it was that hard since the man's fighting style basically boils down to "destroy everything in sight". I'm sure some of you were surprised he's his faction's Saber and are wondering what the real Berserker looks and acts like. He's an obvious foil to Koragg in that while the latter is an out-and-out magic knight, Xandred's raw power with a sword…but he's still got a few surprises in store. Next chapter I'll start showing those surprises. **

**Next up is Olympius, whom I had fun writing, especially when he was fighting Team Fujimaru. Both groups are going to be key players and this chapter was meant to set up the rivalry between them, namely the rivalry that will form between Koragg and Olympius. In homage to past installments such as Zero and Apocrypha, they'll have a Saber/Lancer rivalry that goes on throughout the story. How it'll end you all will have to wait and see, but know this, it'll definitely involve lots of collateral destruction.**

**Next chapter I'll swing back to Ritsuka and Joan since I wasn't able to fit them into this chapter. I'll also start wrapping some things up as this new Great Holy Grail War will be ready to move onto its next phase. Until then! **


	10. Chapter 9-Little Trouble, Big Apple Pt4

***Pushes aside all the balloons and confetti* Hello, readers! Here we are in 2020 and I can say that the year's gotten off to…quite an explosive start in areas. This story goes on, hell, it's just getting started Just a quick recap, last chapter saw the continuation of first blows between Chaldea and the latest round of maniacs out to threaten the world and ended with our flame-totting heroines, their dark knight Servant, two teenagers who'd make you piss yourself if angered, and a lightning-throwing fiend while on the other side…oh, you know, a bloodthirsty Brit, an angry lobster-man, and a red-scaled, fire-breathing prick. Will that little dispute be settled in this chapter? And how are our favorite Master and his (former) Avenger wife doing? All that will be answered in this chapter, the first of the new year! Enjoy! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order**_

_**Chapter 9 - Little Trouble in the Big Apple Pt.4**_

* * *

_**Central Park, 8:48 PM…**_

It was a tragedy that Central Park would be demolished. Such a conclusion had been reached by the four teenagers well before the first blow between them and their enemies had been struck. Still, the park could be rebuilt, especially with Chaldea's unseen aid; such a thing was preferable to jagged valleys of destruction and carnage wrought by a moving battle with countless civilians caught in the crossfire. Then there was the tactical point of containing their enemies to a confined space such as the park.

Frontal combat, which is what most of, if not all of the fighters present shined in, was made incredibly easy. It was practically the only method left. To say that it was a brutal affair would have been an understatement as every passing second was marked by the battle cries of warriors and the clashing of weapons.

Koragg was the center of attention for the two enemy Servants, Saber and Lancer of Hell. The two were competing against each other to the chance to kill him, to cut him into pieces with their respective demonic weapons as they quickly found what magical means they could use fell short thanks to his Magic Resistance. Neither of them seemed to mind that too much as they quickly showed their physical might was more than enough. Where Saber of Hell swung, destruction followed, chunks of earth flying upward while deep gashes were left in the ground, the resounding aftershocks being enough to make one believe an earthquake was taking place. Such things were punctuated by a burst of fire from the swift, merciless attacks of Lancer of Hell. His spear flashed bright orange and deep black, moving in murderous arcs with each one aimed at killing or maiming his opponents.

Said opponents were doing anything but making things easy.

Diarmuid, his spearman's pride awoken, rushed through the rapidly deteriorating battlefield. In a single clash, he knew his opponent outmatched him in strength, but that was nothing new. He'd fought such battles before, and his heart leaped in excitement at the possibility of being able to engage in another, even with such massive stakes.

"You dare to get in my way, human? I hope you know what the consequences will be!" Snarled the draconic demon as the two warriors found themselves locked in an epic clash. Arcs of roaring flames exploded from his spear while wisps of mystical energy escaped the red and yellow-colored spears of his opponent.

There was a brief break away, then the human Servant found himself on the defensive, but he did not waver. "The only consequence that I fear is letting you and your associate run amok throughout this land!"

"You dare imply you may tell me, a prince of demons, what I may do?! Foolish mortal! I'll burn you to cinders!" He quickly worked to follow through on the threat, pushing Diarmuid away then spacing his feet apart. His dual-ended spear rose, then fell down in a lightning-fast thrust. Crimson cracks spread along the ground, snaking their way not just towards Diarmuid, but to the far left where the demon's original opponent was locked in deadly combat with Saber of Hell.

The battle came to a sudden interruption as Koragg sensed the oncoming threat and jumped backwards, calling Yan Qing to his side as he raised his shield and projected a barrier around the two of them. Seconds after it went up, the ground exploded into a field of orange, red, and black flames that stretched all the way up to the spherical barrier that surrounded the entire park. Of course, it caught Saber of Hell in the blast as well, not that the red-skinned demon was too bothered by it, even as portions of his body burned owing as a testament to the strength of the attack.

"You bastard lizard! Keep out of my way!" Barked the Nighlok, swinging his massive sword in the direction of the winged Lancer before directing it back at the knightly foe they both yearned to crush. He got a bit of a surprise when he saw a massive beam of black and purple and red-lined energy coming straight at him. Reacting quickly, Xandred held his sword up, his arm muscles actually _groaning _as he found himself being pushed back. Forced to divert attention away from his shielding, more of the demonic flames ate away at his skin. They were a minor annoyance, and served to help fuel his already brimming hatred. Roaring, he attempted to throw off the energy beam, but it continued to keep him locked down via forcing all his concentration to keep at bay.

Thus, he was left wide open.

"You've had a long day, so why not lay back!? Take a little rest!" Called the energetic voice of the Chinese Assassin. He was close, incredibly close.

All six of Xandred's eyes widened sensing the sudden presence behind him. He would have turned around and looked back had he not been forced to divert more energy to his blade, an act that caused a surging hatred within him leveled at the being firing at him. Using the open window, Yan Qing dropped to his knees and put all his strength into his right leg, which lashed out at the Saber's feet. He winced in pain as it felt like smashing his foot against a castle gate, even with the protective magic of the shield attached to his back. Ultimately, his attack was successful, something that brought a smile to his face as the Nighlok began to fall. Roaring in anger, the demon quickly slammed his massive sword into the charred ground in an attempt to steady himself. It was ultimately in vain as right in front of him appeared Dark Saber.

First came a punch, one so strong it caused even Xandred to gasp for breath, then came two more punches followed by an elbow blow then a kick that had him bouncing off the ground. Briefly turning his gaze upward, he saw Olympius coming in at him, spear raised and leveled at his chest. With a pull of his arms, he magically pulled Xandred to his feet, putting him directly in front of his charging opponent.

Koragg felt something resembling disappointment when he saw his draconic foe didn't slow down in the slightest. If anything, he sped up.

Quickly, he stepped to the side, taking Xandred with him, who shouted his protest at being treated in such a manner. Enraged but not totally blinded, Olympius stomped his feet and twisted his body about, dragging his spear with him. The weapon left a blazing hot gash across Xandred's body, causing the Nighlok to howl in anger then launch into a stream of profanities at his supposed ally. Olympius predictably sneered as he searched for his target, his true enemy. He found him upward, both hands on his broadsword, which blazed with unholy darkness and light. It was a burning torch of contained energy that was released with a single downward swing that sent a pulsating wave of malefic energy with streaks of white light in the center, crashing down upon the two Servants. Mystic-colored fire and smoke fanned out from the blast-site.

The Knight Wolf came down beside his two allies, both of which looked at the great blaze with awe before turning to him.

"I am _so _glad the girls won your loyalty." Nervously chuckled the Chinese outlaw as he handed the Saber back his mystical shield. While the weapon had no doubt been a boon in keeping him alive, he couldn't deny that his time holding it had been…unsettling to put it bluntly. The shield radiated demonic power, power that caused a dark stirring on Yan Qing as well as brought up rather uncomfortable memories. He was more than happy to return the weapon back to its original owner, who accepted it without much of a word.

Diarmuid's fascination lay with Dark Saber's sword, doubtlessly the strongest demonic sword he'd ever seen in all his life and Servant life. "I must say, that was quite a powerful blow you landed. That said…when you used Saber of Hell as a human shield…Dark Saber-no, Koragg, were you hoping that Olympius would stop his attack?"

"…Ask me not a question I do not know the answer to, Diarmuid of the Love Spot." Came his flat response before sliding into a fighting position. "Both of you, ready yourselves. They're coming in two seconds."

True to his words, the two Hell Servants came bursting forth, their bodies sizzled and burnt, but the malice in their eyes holding strong. Both demons had their eyes trained on Dark Saber, who stood ready to face both of them. Luckily, he wasn't alone as Diarmuid stood beside him. Before the battle was over, there was a very real chance he'd lose an arm, but such things were only natural in battle, especially those against first-rate opponents.

An arm or a leg, such could always be the price of victory.

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()o o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

"I gotta say, you brats are pretty tough, tough enough that I'm having to stay on my toes!" Shouted the blond-haired man, forced to take a step back as the overwhelming might of the oldest Dragon Witch and the scythe-wielder proved too much for him to hold back. This time, as he slid across the ground, the two girls looked at him with eyes filled with determination, then came at him in a unison. Flames blazed from both weapons, which were raised back then swung forward with the intent being to split British magus in half. Grinning, the man held both his arms out, his fingers turning into metallic gray then glowing red at the tips. Before him materialized a hexagon-patterned barrier that shattered on contact with the girls' weapons. He grinned watching the two continue to press their attack.

If he moved to counter them then he'd fall prey to the other two, lying in wait. Grinning, he focused his magecraft into his legs, turning them into thrusters which he used to propel himself skyward just in time to avoid the combined attacks of the two wildest girls.

Without looking up, he sensed the appearance of the younger Dragon Witch. A smirk on his face, he spun in mid-air, a scythe blade extended from his elbow which eagerly sliced through the fourteen-year-old girl. Or would have, had she really been there.

The ball of magical energy exploded, a ring of mystical runes rushing outward and binding the British man. He winced, feeling the paralyzing energy spreading through his body at lightspeeds; within seconds he knew was bound, if only for a few seconds. Unfortunately, that was all his enemies needed for an opening.

First came the jet-black chain wrapping around his right leg, then came the scale-laden hand gripping his left. Together, they dragged him down, his impact leaving a small crater thanks to the momentum that carried him down. There was a short throbbing of pain, a prelude to what came next which was a bolt of raw lightning that burned away his skin and sapped his strength. It hurt like hell, but again, it was only a prelude to what came next - a torrent of unholy lightning. And it _hurt_, far more than he was willing to admit. Green eyes slammed shut and teeth gnashed as the pain grew and grew, reaching levels that until the magus felt like he'd screamed himself hoarse.

An end came as he spotted, out of the corner of his eye, an oncoming flash of silvery-gray lined with emerald green. A quick rush of fear and excitement rushed through him, fueling him to act. His boots, having been burnt away revealing his bare feet, changed into metallic silver lined with red and black designs. From the bottoms came twin jets of flames that propelled him ahead, though the lightning seemed to follow him. Still, it was better than being run through by the chronokinetic's scythe. He knew that such a thing would have been an instant game over.

Instead of the scythe blade, he ended up with a double kick from the skull-themed fiend and the scale-covered teenager. It was hard to tell whose kick had more power behind it; ultimately, it didn't matter as together their attack would have been strong enough to completely demolish a multi-story building thus utterly decimate a normal human being.

What the teenagers were up against was not a normal human being, thus he survived. Albeit, not without injuries, great injuries.

He flew backwards, crashing through the trees and eventually skidding across the ground, sending dirt and grass flying outward. It wasn't enough for the assembled teenagers, all of whom had a gut feeling that their enemy yet lived. The sisters threw their hands out, as did Horatio, his wings stretched out and crackling with lightning. Ida raised her scythe, emerald energy gathering within the blade as Akara threw his head back, cheeks puffed up. A second later and all the attacks were let loose: dual streams of roaring hot fire, a surging arc of bright yellow lightning, an arc-shaped blast of chronal energies and lastly a concentrated stream of dark green-colored acid. All of them sped through the air, finally impacting at the downed crash site of the magus, resulting in a titanic explosion that sent gales whipping across the park. It almost rivaled the volcanic eruption that burst from the earth over thirty feet behind them.

Akara stared ahead at the smoking crater he and his friends had created with their combined attack. His scaly face was grim. "He's not dead yet."

"I was kind of hoping he wasn't, this is just starting to get good." Chuckled Ida, stabbing her gear-themed scythe into the ground so she could rev up the handle.

"Just asking, but do we even know what this man's power set is?" Growled Horatio. Much like Akara, he too sensed the continued survival of their human foe. That…and something more. The skeleton-themed demon sniffed the air, now reek with the smell of battle and blood. While his sense of smell wasn't quite as sharp as the Chimeratized humans or his female masters, he was able to detect the unnatural in the form of scents. Specifically, like any demon, he could recognize his own.

Whatever this magus was, he wasn't entirely human. Not anymore.

"I think…he's able to absorb organic material." Spoke up the black-haired teenager, his reptilian eyes staring straight ahead while his ears themselves having grown scales like the rest of his body, listening for any movement. He was searching both above and below the ground. Akara knew the Bounded Field set up around them encompassed both the skies and the underground; they could only see above ground which left their opponent with some room to move beneath the earth. "Ida, remember when we found him, how he…killed everyone in the diner."

"Blood, bones, flesh, yes, I believe I see what you mean." Concurred the cherry-eyed girl. In truth, she was actually thankful for this slight reprieve, as tension-filled as it was. It was a minute for her to catch her breath as no doubt her Mystic Eyes of Chronos would be getting more usage in the next five minutes, and perhaps beyond. "After he absorbs it, he converts it into that weird-ass metal."

"Alchemy, one complex as hell alchemic process, I'll give him that." Ryoko remarked.

"Bingo! Give the squirt a prize!" Sang the British man, his voice echoing from all directions. In seconds, the four teenagers and fiend formed a tight circle around one another, each of them scouring the landscape for their enemy. "Seems like you brats have got some brains, got on ya. I was 'fraid that you'd all be all barking and biting and not an ounce of smarts in you, but I'm happy all of you proved me wrong. It makes this all the more exciting."

"And mind telling us what exactly 'this' is?" Challenged Helena. She knew their enemy lay underground, waiting for the chance to strike. Apparently, he held little worry for his Servant, who was engaged in a life-or-death battle against her own as well as their other allies. She could understand his confidence as from what her ears were picking up, this Saber of Hell was certainly proving himself to be a tenacious enemy, even as he argued and occasionally directed his attacks toward Lancer of Hell. Helena could only hope if Koragg saw a chance to strike, he took it.

"Ah, what is this? Why it's a declaration of war, Helena. I thought you'd know something about those since you apparently like history." Chimed in the voice.

_So, he knows my name, and Koragg's identity. We need this guy to talk, even if we can only get something like a false name out of him. _Affirmed the oldest sister, her turquoise eyes still searching the now burning park. Everything was burning, and everything that wasn't had been horribly mangled through a combination of gale-force winds and destructive tremors. It really did look like a warzone. "Mind telling me who it is you're declaring war on? Chaldea? New York City? The Magus Association? That weird-ass jewelry salesman on Thirty-Ninth Street who scammed even the Clock Tower?"

"All of the above! And yeah, especially that bastard! I'd take a detour and kill that little weasel if I didn't have strict orders right now!" Barked the blond man from his unseen hiding spot. "Don't worry though, playing with you lot is more than enough to satisfy me. In fact…you've entertained me so much I feel like it's time I took things to the next level!"

"That…or if you don't start getting serious, we'll kick your sorry ass all the way back to the UK." Sniped the pony-tailed sister, her senses flaring up causing her to shout. "Everyone, move!"

Her warning came just in the nick of time as the group sprinted in separate directions. The ground broke apart as a mass of dark red and violet-green energy shot upwards, ascending towards the sky.

Sparing the object a sideways glance, Ryoko remarked, "Wait a minute, is that a Shoryu-"

The uppercut ceased and was transformed into a series of sweep kicks that sent crackling waves of dark energy in multiple directions. He'd targeted each member of the group, and fired off at least two shots for each of them. Ida and Horatio put up their guard, digging their heels. For Akara and the Fujimaru Sisters, it was game of dodging from side to side and backwards.

For Helena, the game ended quicker as she spotted a silver and red object come crashing down in front of her. Teeth gnashing, she watched for the shadows, upon finding it, she swung her broadsword. A metallic cling rang out followed by another, then another, and then another. Each clash blew away the smoke and dust until the two fighters could look one another in the eye. One was a human girl, sword in hand and eyes harden with determination as she glared back at her opposition, a battle maniac like herself and her mother, but one obviously missing a screw or two. His entire upper body had been coated in a strange and somewhat alluring metallic alloy marked with twisting designs that glowed a mixture of red, orange, and purple. Even his face had partially been metalized, almost the whole of his left side had gained the same dark appearance while his eye, formerly humanoid green, had turned blood-red with the sclera black instead of white.

Crimson energy swelled about his pulled back left fist while his face twisted into a malicious smile. At first, Helena sneered, then mirrored his expression before throwing her sword forward to meet the attack. Fiery sparks burst the meeting of steel against steel, it wasn't the last as the two combatants launched into a rapid-fire dance of sword slashes and punches, attacks and parries, all occurring in the blink of an eye. The dance ended as the British man took a step back, his right arm morphed into a massive drill that immediately began to spin, creating whipping tendrils of air. With a grin, he thrust his transformed right arm forward, cackling in mad glee as he was stopped by the orange-colored blade. Helena's teeth further gnashed as she held her left hand against the opposite side of Feucoeur to keep it steady.

_Crazy and strong, damn, talk about be careful what you wish for! _Thought the oldest Fujimaru witch. She held absolute faith in her beloved sword; it was no Noble Phantasm, but it was still a top-class Mystic Code the likes of which could stand toe-to-toe with most Noble Phantasms. It'd certainly stood strong against her Saber's Darkalibur sword. If it could do that, then it could certainly stand up to whatever weapons this maniac from the British Isles could come up with. "You know, fire melts metal, right?" He snarled, peering above her custom-made weapon to glare at her opponent in the form of a vicious smile.

Of course, he returned her expression. "Not all the time. Besides, this ain't normal metal, you shitty little brat!" True to his words, his back began to transform, or rather, something began to grow _from _them. Namely, jet thrusters that quickly fired up providing more force to his attack.

Helena gave an inch, but that was it. "Mode…Vert!" In a second, Feucoeur's color changed from orange to bright green, the inscription on the blade changing as well. The British magus had a split second to realize this change was more than just cosmetic, then he was blown back. Of course, the center of the explosion was where his drill met the girl's sword, the sparks had served as ignition. As he stumbled back, Helena angled her weapon. "Mode Bleu!" Again, the sword changed, this time from green to blue. Giving a fierce battle cry, she swung her weapon in a diagonal line, the superheated blade passing right through the enemy's transformed arm.

Like a hot knife through butter, the broadsword cut through the demonic metal, electing a sharp cry of agony from the blond. It wasn't just the blade that caused him agony, it was the azure flames that burst forth from the cut as well. He pulled his arm back, a fierce sneer covering his face as he glared down upon the seventeen-year-old girl. He moved his arm in her direction, another horrid transformation already taking place until it came to a sudden stop, as did the rest of the Englishman's body. He, of course, yelped out in surprise and rage.

"Yeah, here's the other thing about metal," Helena grinned. "it's subject to this little thing called electromagnetism."

He heard it in his ears, the malicious laughter of the skull-themed demon, who no doubt had created a field of restraining electromagnetic field that had locked him in place. It was strong, incredibly strong as just the act of physically twitching took most of his strength; that was exactly what his teenage opponents had been hoping for. Helena held Feucoeur above her head, the broadsword blazing bright blue flames that would no doubt cut through his immobilized metal body. Behind him dashed in Ida, her clockwork scythe ablaze with emerald energy that no doubt enhanced the weapon's cutting power. The Japanese-French girl's flames would weaken him while cutting him, and the German-Syrian's scythe would cut through the weaken metal from behind. It would be a glorious double knock-out.

Alas, it wasn't to be.

An eyebrow rose, a smug smirk adorning the Englishman's face. Helena saw it, and knew right there that their opponent wasn't as helpless as they all believed.

_Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! _

Each blast like was a mine going off-strike that, they might as well have been mines. All connected to the British man's mind rather than his body. That was the one thing they hadn't been able to lock down, something that Ryoko quietly cursed as she slammed her flagpole down setting up a barrier around her and her friends. Her sister and Ida were unprotected, but Ryoko didn't feel the need to worry about either of them; Helena and Ida were more than capable of taking care of themselves. What she worried about was their opponent, who was now free as Horatio had broken his magnetic hold on his body. He was free to go on the attack.

Oddly enough, he didn't do that. But he did summon someone else to do the attacking for him.

The Ruler of the Nighlok was disoriented, then he was angry. Actually, he was disoriented _and_ angry, at his Master, who he swung his six furious eyes on. "Lloyd, how dare you!? I was right in the middle of a battle!"

"I offer you a new battle! Against the Masters of Dark Saber!" Proclaimed the British Master with a cheery smile. "Even better, that one there, the one with the pony-tail. Doesn't she remind you of him? That bastard who led the other Samurai Rangers against you?"

Swinging his head about, the red-skinned demon sized up the oldest daughter of the Fujimaru Clan. Realizing what was to come, Helena wasted no time and hurled herself at her opponent, Feucoeur colliding with his giant _zanbatō_; Xandred barely budged an inch, yet he glared down at the human girl. Helena looked up at him with hard eyes. Xandred's rage immediately bubbled over.

"You…yes, I see now. Your eyes…your accursed eyes, and your weaponry and powers, all borne of fire…just like that accursed Shiba Clan!" Hot-red rage shooting through his veins, he fended off the teenager, then grabbed her by the throat and held her up. Roaring in long-held anger, he slammed the platinum blonde down, the impact cracking the earth as well as causing her to gasp in pain. Blood poured down her lips as she glared up at her non-human opponent. She could see the boiling rage around him, sense it in the crimson-red aura that exuded from his body. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Ida's eyes flash emerald green, her Mystic Eyes were getting ready to activate.

They never got the chance to as Helena was lifted from the ground, then hurled across the battlefield toward her dark-haired friend. Their time to recover was limited as Xandred swung about in their direction, his massive sword rising and releasing a ten-foot surging wave of demonic energy ringed with crackling lightning directly at the teenage girls. Briefly, he was treated to the sweet sounds of their cries of agony, his attention was forced elsewhere as a mass of lightning and rage slammed into him. Enraged yellow eyes stared into the bright green of the bound fiend, whose skeletal body crackled with electricity as he engaged his fellow devil in a contest of strength. Very quickly, it became clear who the victor would be if the struggle continued.

"You…filthy traitor, to bend a knee to a lowly human! I'll grind you into dust!" Snarled the Nighlok, forcing the lightning-attributed demon to take several steps back while keeping his guard up. Blood sipped from the white flesh and cracks echoed as skin and bone began to give way.

"Big words…from an overgrown lobster. Worry not, I know just the way to cook you!" Barked back the winged fiend. Bright green eyes suddenly flashed red, a color that overtook the rest of the summoned familiar's body, which began to darken and bulk up. White turned black, purple muscle sinew turned red, and the already nightmarish face grew even more terrifying with feral anger. Arcs of blood-red lightning shot out, vaguely shaping themselves into serpentine heads. Some of them bit down on the Nighlok, causing him to groan in pain. "This is the power that a lowly human helped me to achieve!" Horatio's body bulged even more as he summoned forth all the power he could bear. Strong within him was the spiritual link he shared with Helena and Jose, his friends, his comrades. Its presence told him that the former was still alive, in pain, but alive. Using the pain from her injuries, the contracted demon called forth more blood-red lightning; it ultimately gave him the strength to stand on even-ground with his Servant opponent, who quickly found himself being forced to take a single step backward.

Xandred snarled in irritation at his enemy. To be fighting an Infernal Spirit sworn to a human was one thing, but to fight one who seemed _proud _and drew _power_ from that contract, that was another matter entirely.

Plus, his nose caught the distinctive whiff that rode the lightning that his skeletal opponent was now firing at him. It was draconic. "Two can play at that game, fiend!" With a deep growl, the Nighlok summoned forth the power that lay within his own weapon, a power quite similar to what his opponent was wielding. Along the _zanbatō_, the golden dragon insignia, as well as the pearls, glowed with ominous power. The weapon exploded into a blaze of dark red and black as Xandred pushed back the skull-themed fiend. "Now, know the power of my sword, the strongest weapon ever wielded by a Nighlok, by an Ayakashi!"

True to his words, the ground around the two otherworldly entities shattered, the energetic pressure causing cracks and fissures as they became the epicenter of a literal sudden and explosive storm of lightning and energy. Eyes were forced away as the maelstrom grew stronger and stronger, all in the span of seconds. So great was the force one would have been forgiven for believing that it was a clash between Servants. Only one half of the pair was a Servant, the other was "just" a familiar, albeit one that had been engineered to be a weapon of mass destruction…but tempered by the notions of kindness and loyalty, such traits helped the lightning fiend hold back Xandred's blade. But it wouldn't last, not at this rate.

Seeing that, Helena acted. "Horatio, Soul Unity, now!" Barked the older sister, blood pouring from the right side of her face down her chin. Her left arm stretched out, patiently waiting for the skull-themed demon to heed her command. He did. The transformed fiend morphed into a mass of red lightning with black-bat like wings as he flew towards his summoner. Upon catching hold of him, Helena slammed the now spiritual mass into her personal sword, creating a burst of howling winds and lightning. The latter consumed the broadsword, the arching bolts forming the faint outline of a skull as Helena rushed toward the Saber-Class Servant. Seeing her coming, Xandred swung his _zanbatō_ in her direction, expecting the teenager to be swatted aside like a fly. What he got was a deadlock that forced the Nighlok to put some effort, lest he will be overwhelmed.

The Nighlok might have been impressed…if he didn't already hate the teenage girl.

A moment later and he was beginning of hate her companions as well.

Without warning, the Saber felt the formerly solid ground beneath him weaken nearly causing him to lose his balance. He _did _lose his balance, but only for a moment. Proving her worth, Helena seized on that moment. Four slashes, each one delivered in the span of seconds, each one strong enough that were Xandred a lesser Servant, he might have actually been killed. Instead, he was merely paralyzed. The paralysis grew worse as Helena threw her right arm out, a jet-black chain wrapping around him. Likewise, Ida drew a circle using her scythe, now converted into some sort of glaive; an ethereal clock manifested in the space before her. Around the struggling Nighlok appeared a set of green portals from which came more chains of similar coloration. One set physically restraining, and the other quite literally holding Saber of Hell in place.

He refused to be held for long and thus struggled.

"Ryoko! Now!" Screamed the oldest sister, having sheathed her sword and was now holding into the black chain with all she had. Helena knew for a fact she was running on little more than half her strength, as was Ida and likely Akara and her sister. Making things worse, in the distance, they could still hear the roar of explosions meaning the battle between Lancer of Hell and their Servants was still going on. They had to start wrapping this up, fast.

The short-haired sister got the hint and looked at Akara, his scales penetrated and blood pouring from his body. He barked at her to go while he continued the deadly dance with their opponent, now named Lloyd. Spacing her feet apart, she looked across the battlefield to Saber of Hell, bound and restrained if only for a moment. Holding her hands out, she summoned her orange and gold-colored trident, Couronne-Brisant. It was a weapon she desired to bring down the arrogant and powerful. Given its ability to drain the strength from those it pierced, the weapon lived up to its title. A fact many, including Servants, could attest to. Teeth gnashed and her eyes blazing, she kicked off the ground, a pair of ethereal wings propelling her forward.

Six eyes saw the oncoming blazing blur coming in fast. Had he been able to move, the Nighlok would have swatted the young witch to the side just as he had attempted to do her sister.

_**THUNK! **_

"YOU…YOU INSUFFERABLE LITTLE BRAT! HOW DARE YOU!" Bellowed the red-skinned swordsman. Already, he could feel his malicious strength leaving him and flowing into the accursed three-pronged lance the fourteen-year-old held in her hand.

She looked up at him with slitted eyes. "Just shut up and start drying out, you overgrown lobster!" Muscles tense, she began to pull, seeing the massive whirling maelstrom of power that was Saber of Hell's energy reserves. Absorbing it all was impossible, but she could take in as much of it as she could, maybe enough they could cut him down or drive him off. That was Ryoko's end goal thus she latched onto the maelstrom and began to pull.

"Hahahaha! You think you can handle my power, little girl?!" Xandred howled. For a brief moment, amusement overwhelmed his anger, then the latter came rushing back as he looked into the younger witch's turquoise eyes. Much like her sister's, they'd turned into feral slits befitting those of a dragon. What made Xandred explode in rage though was the emotion associated with them - determination. Such a human-like trait…and then he remembered the fact that the sword-wielder was her _sister_. They were _siblings_. _Just like them. Just like…those…accursed…Shiba clansman. Shiba…Shiba…__**SHIBAAAA!**_

"Your little friends are in for it now." Lloyd chuckled as he and Akara countered one another's kicks and punches. He'd been feeling merciful and decided to go for bare-fisted brawling over any flashy weapons. To his joy, his teenage adversary was able to match his metallic blows pretty evenly. Whatever experiments had been done to him, they'd made him up to tough stuff.

Getting the warning, Akara turned his head around, eyes wide as all his animalistic senses flared up in warning. "You guys, get away from him, he's-"

The explosive blast was unlike anything the teens had witnessed prior. For Akara, the only time he'd ever seen such a massive explosion of force was perhaps from the likes of Kintoki or Kiyohime, both empowered by dragons…and both Berserkers. That's exactly what the so-called Saber of Hell looked like, roaring in primal fury at the epicenter of a blood-red typhoon that shot upwards. All the restraints were gone as Xandred raised his massive sword up high, six eyes flashing bright red just as his sword was. The dragon engraving lit up, a golden beacon of destruction in the middle of a demonic storm.

Akara's blood chilled as he saw the demon's mouth preparing to move. In a heartbeat, he was raising forward, all his restraints gone as he knew what was going. If he released his Noble Phantasm in their current state, they wouldn't survive.

He probably wouldn't survive, but he had to try.

Xandred saw him coming and barked, "You shall die first, worm! **Shōryū-**"

"HOLD!"

He came crashing through a portal of darkness, riding a jet-black horse with purple-colored armor. To Akara and the rest of the teens, it was perhaps the most impressive feat they'd seen from Koragg the Knight Wolf.

His fellow Saber certainly didn't see the attack coming, meaning he was caught completely off-guard by it thus sent rolling through the air.

Koragg quickly dismounted and held out his shield, the crimson eye blazing as several ethereal chains shot out and entangled the airborne Servant. Snarling, he yanked the shield down, bringing Xandred crashing to the ground as well. The black stallion gave a huff, then ran directly towards the downed Nighlok, becoming a bullet of dark magic that slammed into his prone form with the force of a freight train.

"Ah! Doesn't' feel so good now, does it, Lobster-Face!?" Yelled Helena, one knee bent and one arm looking more than a little mangled, indicating she wouldn't be using it for a while. Or least until she could heal it or the situation turned bad again. "Ryoko! Ryoko! Are you okay?!"

Already, the dark knight was moving to the downed preteen. She groaned in pain and annoyance as she was taken into the arms of her Servant. Her hands were singed bright red, burn wounds that Koragg quickly set about healing as best he could. _All that…and this is all she walks away with, that and a few scratches that I should be able to heal. She is…so small, yet so sturdy…_ Mused the Morlock.

His attention was drawn away by the clapping of hands. He faced forward; a harsh glare leveled at the blond-haired man across from him. He seemed more amused than upset by the blindsiding of his Servant.

"Gotta say, showing up just in the nick of time to save your Masters and her little friends. You really are a knight, aren't you?" He chuckled as the four teens regrouped around knight. "Curiosity, what happened to Olympius? Guy's a bit of a prick-"

"Like you're one to talk." Ida huffed.

"That's not nice." Lloyd chuckled, pointing a finger at her.

"I gave Diarmuid and Yan Qing sufficient means to combat him. Besides…my Masters' survival takes prominence." Coolly replied the dark knight, having finished tending to his youngest Master's injuries. She was back on her feet with her trident in hand. Quietly, he looked at Helena, only to watch her shake her head and push Ida forward. Gripping her sword, she strutted forward, standing before the group to face her fellow Master. "Helena."

"Thanks for coming to save us…and thanks for saving Ryoko." She said, turning back to look at him with a small smile. It was…Koragg didn't quite know how to describe it. She was genuinely happy to see him. "But go back up the other two, this guy's ours."

"Hey, you kids have had a go at me, maybe you could use tin-head's help." Barked back the British Servant. "Besides…I think I might be able to keep the little prince at bay for a while so we can have some-"

Koragg pushed aside the teenagers, his armored form moving to meet the blazing bullet that shot past Lloyd, who chuckled even as he was hit by the heat-filled whiplash. The two forces collided atop an already shattered ground, creating gale-force winds that forced spectators to shield their eyes.

"You…turned your back on me…for a pair of _humans!_" Screamed Lancer of Hell.

Ryoko whistled, "Well, we are better looking than you, Mister Prince-of-Demons. Not to mention Koragg was kicking your ass so I don't see the problem."

Helena snickered, as did Ida and Akara, all in spite of their visible injuries and exhaustion.

Koragg remained stone-faced, something that possibly enraged Olympius even more. The draconic demon's scales bristled in rage then visible fire as he launched into a furious stream of assaults that were parried by the knightly demon's superb swordsmanship. All the while, the band of four teens looked across at Lloyd, who stared back at him with such a casual smile. It was clear everything that had happened, from the explosive clashes to his own Servant literally being railroaded, was nothing short of amusing in his eyes like he was watching TV.

Speaking of said Servant, Akara turned his head back to where Xandred had fallen. His ears picked up the sounds of battle. He quickly deduced who the combatant was, a second later and he caught the familiar whiff of an ally.

Diarmuid materialized beside the half-reptilian youth, his skin-tight clothing burned and blasted away in several areas revealing grievous wounds that caught the group's attention. Especially his lack of a right arm.

Helena groaned seeing the bleeding stump her sister scrambled to treat. "Got lucky, did he?"

In spite of the pain, the Celtic Lancer chuckled, the chuckling quickly turning into a pained grunt. "As…much as I wish that were the case, Helena, this Olympius fellow is certainly skilled. Forgive me, but I need a moment to recover."

"Take your time, Ryoko, heal him. Ida watch them. Akara, you're with me." Commanded the oldest daughter of the Dragon Witch of Orleans and Savior of Human History. Her arm was still sore, but enough time had passed for her healing to kick in. At the least, she could move her fingers which was something. "We'll-" In that moment, her gaze found Lloyd's; Helena took immediate note of the fact that the man wasn't smiling. He was looking shocked…concerned.

The reasons why manifested when beyond the barrier, already showing several signs of cracks, multiple beams of energy came forth seconds later, shooting upward toward the night sky. The four teenagers and Servants all looked at the visible beams with slack-jaws. Then Helena spotted the trailing of golden flames around one of them.

She and her sister smiled. They didn't know what was going on or what the enemy was after, but they knew one thing for sure - their father had been there.

And he'd put a stop to whatever those plans were.

* * *

_**United Nations Building, 8:10 PM…**_

Once he felt the third pulsing of magical energy beneath him, Ritsuka had an idea of what was going on. Through the coms, he pieced together what their enemy's game was.

Ley lines, conduits of pure magical energy that magi and other magical-oriented creatures could draw upon for power. Back before the Grand Orders, he came across the term in a book he'd been reading about old folklore. Needless to say, when he encountered the Moonlit World, he realized it was more than just folklore. Ley lines held power, power that when tapped could cause serious problems for ordinary people and the innocent if they ended up in the wrong hands. If he didn't act fast, that's what would happen, and the end results would be nothing short of horrific.

Not to mention if he lived, he'd never hear the end of it from the Magus Association.

A resounding crash to his right caught his eye. He turned to find himself side by side with his wife…and undoubtedly, the most enthusiastic arsonist he'd ever met. She huffed, "Alright, what's the plan?"

Ritsuka grinned at her. "Honey, I have no idea what you're talking about."

A knot forming on her face, she reached out and pinched his cheek. Even with all his built-up endurance, her pinches could still hurt. Then there was her sickeningly sweet smile; it was just as laced with sugary malice as it had been all those years ago. "Oh, you know Goddamn well what I'm talking about, _mon chéri_!" He laughed; Joan pulled even harder. "Plan! Now! It's been _well _over ten minutes and I actually want us to enjoy being in New York City while we're here!"

The black-haired architect would have liked to have answered his wife, in fact, he was on the verge of doing so when they were interrupted. Screaming in rage, the black knight from before came barreling towards the married couple, forcing them to split apart. The aftermath of her attack resulted in a straight path of compressed air blasting its way through the walls and rooms beyond it. Coming out of a roll, Joan snarled, then lunged at her opponent, their swords clashing in a flurry of sparks. Ritsuka could only pay it little mind as seconds later, his own personal foe came crashing through the ceiling, black flames lining his feet. Throwing his arms up, the seasoned Master crafted a mystical barrier that protected him from the resulting blaze; he didn't have to worry about his wife, nor did he care too much for her armored enemy.

"Did you think you could run away from me!?" Howled the German magus, reeling his fist back then launching it forward.

Stone-faced, Ritsuka deflected the blow, golden embers lining his sleeve. Through them, he looked back at his opponent. _Your eyes are still so full of hatred and malice, maybe now more than ever. Whatever power you've gotten a hold of, it's made you worse than before! _More punches came, all fueled by nothing short of pent-up fury that Ritsuka knew had been smearing in the Herman man for years. He'd have found it pitiful if he didn't have so many other things to think about. Ebner shot both hands forward, the bottom of his palms connected and an orb of wicked black flames crackling between them. Thinking fast, he aimed his crossbow at the ground and pulled the trigger. A bolt of concentrated magical energy was launched and shattered the floor beneath them, sending both men toppling through the air. Neither of them were helpless.

Ritsuka pulled the trigger again, propelling himself upwards while his opponent fell. Snarling annoyance, he swung his leg out launching a crescent-shaped blaze at the uplifting father. He smirked, angling his crossbow at the attack. The long-range weapon glowed with blue light seconds before making contact with the object, the flaming projectile warped, then fell apart with the heat energy entering the crossbow. Ebner held out both arms, visibly enraged to see his attack having been absorbed. The younger magus acted faster.

A specialized arrow was notched and fired before the German man could respond. His green eyes widened seeing not a bolt of energy, but a massive ethereal _spider _coming straight at him. It moved like lightning, clasping around him, restraining him as he hit the next floor down. Ebner screamed multiple profanities as he struggled against the binds. All too quickly, he discovered whatever magical power he exerted, the mystical bindings absorbed. It was both humiliating and well-thought-out. Ritsuka would have followed up the attack had he not sensed something else coming his way.

With refined movement, the Japanese man tucked his legs in, a ring of golden light forming around the soles of his feet. A ring of flames shot from them pushing Ritsuka out of the way just in time. A massive fist burst through the walls, the rest of the body busting outward like a giant boulder on a roll. The demon's giant, bugling eye moved to the side as it realized that there had been no impact on the end of its fist. Its last sight was a smirking Ritsuka propelling himself toward him, then there was a flash.

_**SLISH! **_

"Aaaaggggghh!"

It didn't get long to scream as the veteran adventurer angled his weapon atop the evil specter's head, then pulled the trigger. Death was instantaneous.

_Artoria! Rees! How are you guys holding up?_

First came his fellow human's response. Ritsuka could tell that he was out of breath. _"These…things…demons…shit, we should have called the Burial Agency for this! Speaking of which, where the hell are they!? I mean seriously, all this time and surely someone in New York must have noticed the abnormal malice in the area!"_

His feet hitting the floor, Ritsuka silently nodded in agreement. All this time and he truly believed the Church should have at least caught a whiff of what was happening. Albeit by this point, he could say that Chaldea was doing a majority of the leg work, not that he really cared about that sort of thing too much. Plus, something told him that even if they arrived, they'd likely find themselves a bit in over their heads.

Next came Artoria. Of course, she didn't sound too winded, nor was she as overtly annoyed as Rees. No doubt because the ancient king did indeed possess some experience when it came to dealing with situations like this, and then some. _Ritsuka, I am here. I believe you have formulated a plan of sorts? _He could practically hear the smile in her voice.

As with his wife, the legendary Master chuckled. This time there was no pinching of his cheeks. _Yeah, I've got a plan, or the makings of one. Listen, we're running short on time. I need you all to hold things down here. In the meantime, those four disturbances we picked up earlier. We're going to hit all of them, and we're going to have to do so in the next…ten minutes or so. _As if to add validity to his words, the floor-no, the _whole building_ shook like a child's rattle. Next came the wave, the overwhelming sense of _dread_ that caused his stomach to twist itself into knots. _Yeah, we gotta act fast or else this situation will get a whole lot worse! Especially if there are three more cracks like this! If they all resonate with each other then…_An image flashed through his mind - one of a massive tear ripping through the city of New York, thousands dying in the process, and that would just be the start-up to the tragedy. No, to the _nightmare_.

Face bent in a sneer, he faced towards his still struggling opponent. Ebner was a bomb getting ready to go off so he acted fast. Reinforcing his legs, Ritsuka ran, encircling the downed magus and planting five emerald-tipped arrows around him. Coming to a stop in front of the massive window to the left of the room, he held out his right hand, left hand holding his wrist. Briefly, he chuckled thinking of his earlier days in Chaldea. Back then, a binding spell such as this would have been well beyond his abilities, at least until they'd gotten to the North America Singularity.

Each of the arrows glowed leafy-green, the light rising and forming into a ring with Ebner at the center. The rising flames began to smear and die down as if all the air were being sucked out of them. In a way, that's exactly what was happening as the mystical energies from which they drew their strength from was being suppressed, along with the rest of Ebner Rotfeld's powers. He roared and raged in protest, but it was all to no avail. For the moment, he was trapped.

With that taken care of, the black-haired father turned to the window behind him, a simple wave of his hand and a pressurized gust of air smashed through the window.

"You little bastard! You pathetic, little Asian bastard! How dare you, how dare you to turn your back on me!" Howled the German magus.

At the very least, Ritsuka gave him a sideways glance. "Don't worry, I'll come back to put an arrow in your legs. I just have more important things to deal with! Now, be a good boy while I go clean up your mess!" With a chuckle, he began to run forward, directly towards the ledge leading out into the night sky.

"_Hosenscheisser!" _

He leaped off the ledge, right hand downward and a summoning incantation streaming from his lips. In the magus' mind's eye, he saw the massive gate come into focus and unlocked it by his own wheel. Beneath him, a mystical sigil appeared, the draconic crest of his family, the Fujimaru Family, the family of dragon tamers. Naturally, through it came a dragon, whose back he softly landed upon.

"Seiya! Up, and start building up some fire because I'm going to need a clear line of sight for this next arrow!" Commanded the veteran Master.

The pink dragon huffed in agreement with its summoner's demands and took flight upwards with one flap of its mighty wings. Fierce winds whipped about, luckily there weren't any buildings nearby, or much of anyone. Moving fast, the pink-scaled dragon rose into the skies, quickly reaching into the clouds before stopping then spreading its wings. Clouds passed, revealing the silvery moonlight amidst the countless city lights. Briefly, the dragon purred in delight feeling the sweet, pure light of the celestial lantern. Unlike her compatriots, she greatly preferred the moon and the stars in the night sky than the bright daylight preferred to by the rest of the Fujimaru dragon flight.

After all, the word, "night", was in her name.

Arching her head back, the pterodactyl-like dragon gathered an abundant amount of azure flames in her mouth. Upon reaching the level desired, she threw her head down, breathing out a condensed stream of blue flames directly toward the UN Building. A compressed beam did its job in melting through multiple floors of the building, penetrating even the hard concrete upon which the UN Building stood on. It continued going until hitting its target, the dimensional crack borne from tampering with powers beyond human control. As the blue flames swirled about, another tremor shook the surrounding area. Cracks were beginning to spread, unholy waves of heat rose from the fissures and washed over the waterfront. If one listened closely, faint cries and moans could be heard. One would have been mistaken for believing they were human until the occasional bestial howl ripped through the air.

"Hm, a blooming Hell Gate, I wasn't expecting to see one here. Not in this day and age." Remarked the green-eyed dragon while her rider loaded his personal weapon. She didn't need to tell him that he'd best end this with one shot; speaking of which, she held absolute confidence in his marksmanship. "This city…it is…expansive, quite lively, much like Tokyo."

His laughter broke the tension. "Glad that you enjoy it! Should we make it through this and I don't get my ass chewed out too much, maybe we can go for a flyover!" The female dragon again purred in delight at the thought. Ritsuka had developed a great love of traveling thanks to the adventures of his youth, it was only fitting he'd ended up with companions who somewhat shared that love as well. Especially a draconic mount who greatly enjoyed spreading her leathery wings when she could.

Clearing away all other thoughts, he focused his mind on the arrow, the bolt of "divine reckoning" that would cleanse the dark magic corrupting the Ley line beneath him. In doing so, Ritsuka was able to see it in his mind's eye - a volcano-like mass of malefic energy erupting again and again, massive fissures fanning out in two directions. It was calling to the other two epicenters, just as they were doing to the two vertical-positioned disturbances. If they connected, the island of Manhattan would never be the same; a century or two would have to pass before the magical fallout was one-hundred percent cleansed. As a member of Chaldea, his job was ensuring that didn't happen. Such wishes manifested in the aura of golden light that formed around the human, an aura that one would have called divine. It was quite fitting for a man who fought and defeated a being claiming itself to be the "Demon King", albeit he had a great amount of help in doing so.

Now, he saw this as his chance to give back.

Burning bright like a star was the arrow notched in his bow. The golden flames danced about in the night sky, illuminating the sky and the multi-story building. Those on the ground looked up, and smiled. Especially a certain Shielder and draconic Caster, both of whom knew what was about to come now.

Within the building, the demons felt it. Those who could shiver in anger…and fear; for some, it was the last thing they ever felt before death claimed them in one form or another. Others wisely released what was happening and began to flee, breaking through glass windows falling several stories if they had to. Unfortunately for them, several found themselves surrounded by human and not-so human operatives. Blood quickly colored the pavement around the UN Building.

Blue mixed in with gold as the flames reached their zenith, their sacred power now at the level Ritsuka needed them to be. A clear line of sight, he pulled the trigger leading the divine arrow to fly in a straight path down. It cut a splendid path of azure and gold before disappearing into the darkness of the underground.

Then came the burst of light, followed next by the tremors. There was no way to contain them as they ran deeper than one could imagine, and their effects far more than what the average man could comprehend, at least not without being given a four-hour-long lecture on metaphysics. Fissures that once exploded smoldering heat and blacken embers were now erupting with rays of golden and blue light, arcs of red lightning occasionally constricting around them. Rising above them all were the death howls of demons, countless demons who'd thought they'd be entering the Human World. Instead, their souls were cleansed in an unexpected inferno of majestic flames that burned them into nothingness. Those that held on found themselves torn apart, atom by atom, from the sheer magical feedback wrought from the Ley lines reaction.

Said reaction was nothing short of awe-inspiring and somewhat terrifying to behold. Almost a full minute after his arrow hit its mark, towering jets of multi-colored flames and light shot up from each fissure. Looking closely, Ritsuka could see more than a few demons caught up in the blaze, struggling to escape it. He shut his eyes and looked away in sorrow as their various forms vanished amidst the blazing pillars of energy.

His sadness was short-lived as a pair of hands wrapped around his shoulders, a familiar warm breath whispering in his ears along with a very steady heartbeat. "I suppose this isn't a bad way to spend the night. Just wish the girls were here with us."

Beneath the married couple, Seiya chuckled in amusement. "Worry not, Lady Joan, there are four more Ley line hardpoints that need to be cleansed. I'm sure they'll be close enough to see one of them."

While his wife grunted, Ritsuka reached out with his mind. _Sieg, you there? _

_What is it you need? I'm assuming you want me to go clean up the other hardpoints? _Came his immediate response.

_Yep, pretty much. _As his winged mount moved away as more burst of magically energy erupted from the hole, Ritsuka turned his gaze to the east and the west. Sieg could move fast, incredibly fast when he had to. In a heartbeat, he knew which way to move his allies. "Sieg," he began, catching his wife's attention as well as his mount. "Head down to Chinatown and close up the hardpoint there. Joan, you'll head over to Midtown West and I'll hit Harlem."

"What? Just Scales? Hey, sister, why not join him and you two can spend a little time together? It's been what, three weeks or something since you two have-"

_Sister! _Screamed the blonde-haired Ruler, a blush no doubt on her face. _Please, now isn't the time for that! Besides, Helena and Ryoko could be in danger as we speak! _

At the mention of her daughters, Joan's face grew serious. Untangling herself from her husband, who looked her in the eye. They would meet again, and they would reunite with their daughters, that was a promise.

"I'll go, and I'll be taking that maniac in a tin-can with me. You just make sure you keep your ass alive, and if I see any scorch marks on you, I'll be pissed." Ritsuka smirked causing Joan to sneer, then smile as she leaned forward and kissed him. Beneath them, Seiya purred in further delight; this wasn't the first time her masters had gotten…physical atop her back, and odds were, it wouldn't be the last. "See you in a little bit." With a fiendish giggle, the platinum blonde leaped from her husband's mount, her fur-lined coat flaring up behind her as a blacken magical sigil appeared beneath her. From it emerged yet another dragon, this one twice as big as Ritsuka's own and with a body lined with dark gray scales. A positively ferocious roar ripped through the night air, sending waves of dread racing down the spines of all those within hearing distance. They had every reason to fear as while Ritsuka and Seiya were moderate in their fighting, Joan and her beasts…were not.

He could only pray his wife didn't cause too much collateral damage, Ritsuka already knew they were approaching their limit for one _month_.

Gazing ahead, he saw a mass of crackling turquoise-colored lightning darting along the coast. He knew Sieg would reach the destination in time, perhaps under five minutes or so. Once he reached the Ley line, Ritsuka knew it'd be closed up in no time. As for his wife, well he-

"ALTER!"

Remembering the opponent his wife had been battling, Ritsuka's breath caught in his breath as he watched a jet-black object dart out of the building in the direction his wife and Fafnir had gone. It, _she _moved incredibly fast, so fast that Ritsuka almost lost out on the details the armored figure possessed. What he definitely saw were wings, metallic, bat-like wings that moved fast through the air. While he didn't worry about his French lover's safety, he felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead at what sort of chaos would unfold when the two met. Whoever this knight-like figure was, she was unstable; he'd been around more than enough headcases to know what a nut sounded like.

And she wasn't the only one.

Seiya pulled away as a pillar of fire shot upward, obliterating multiple floors of the United Nations Building. By this point, the once pristine structure had been gutted from the inside out. Ritsuka couldn't help but wince in agony, especially since he'd had the honor of working on the building, helping with repairs after it suffered an unfortunate terrorist bombing almost six years ago. By far and large, that incident now seemed like nothing but a slight plumbing problem, especially on account of the fact less than twenty people had died, thankfully.

Over three times that many people had died this night, and Ritsuka's gut turned in disgust and horror that the number would continue to rise. Knowing he had to do what he could to stop it, he beckoned his draconic mount and ally to move. With a fierce cry, she obeyed his command, flapping her wings and moving through the skies at jet-like speeds.

His pursuer was keeping pace with the two of them, no doubt his rage fueling him.

"FUJIMARU! COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, DAMMIT! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BRAT!" Howled the senior magus, his eyes literally red with anger. Violently, he kicked his own mount, a flame-winged stallion that yelped in fury.

"I told you, I'll come back to you once I finish up!" Shouted back the Japanese magus. He could practically see the bulging vein atop his opponent's forehead.

"I WILL NOT BE IGNORED BY AN UPSTART LIKE YOU!"

A bullet of fire sped towards the Slayer of the Demon King and the Demon Pillars, something that Ritsuka hadn't entirely rolled out happening. He'd heard that there'd been an illegal operation made at recreating Divine and Demonic Beasts, his own daughter commanding one of the poor creatures that been caught up in the experiment, but thankfully freed. From what he'd picked up, the Rotfeld Family had either had a hand in the experiments or reaped some of the benefits, or both. No doubt the flaming pegasus that the German magus was riding had come from that same ring. Ritsuka felt pity for the artificial pegasus; that was why when he took aim with his crossbow, he fired directly at Ebner rather than his mount. Of course, his shots were ineffective as his self-proclaimed "superior" quickly began to gain on him and Seiya.

"They're gaining." Muttered the dragon, below her stretched a sea of lights she would have liked nothing more than to send their pursers crashing into. Sure there would be collateral damage, but for the pink-scaled dragon, it would have been worth it.

"I know." Ritsuka whispered back, preparing several arrows tipped with icy-blue crystals.

"Ah, so we're going with that little stunt." Seiya chuckled. "Well, at least the odds of it working are sufficiently higher than normal. That man does certainly seem to hate you, then again, he only has himself to blame."

Eyes completely assailed by flames, the vengeful German gave his mount one final push, turning it into a blazing bullet of pure wrath and destruction. With a sonic boom, it launched itself forward, directly at the backside of the dragon and its human rider. Ebner's face twisted into a cruel smile as he saw the backside of his hated enemy coming up behind him.

And then they were gone.

"What the-!?" He looked back just in time to see the winged dragon and its rider behind him. Atop the beast's back was Ritsuka Fujimaru, resolute and focused as he fired his weapon, sending a swirling mass of blue energy his way. Ebner was seconds from acting when the pink-scaled dragon's jaw opened, releasing an enhancing roar. He was too slow to react, then he couldn't.

A massive, jagged mass of ice fell downward, crashing into a skyscraper, through perhaps two or three floors. Neither Ritsuka nor Seiya bothered to give any sort of comment, they merely pressed onward, knowing what was at stake.

Not to mention they still had other obstacles in their way towards Harlem.

They merged from the tops of buildings, hundreds of black bodies and blood-red and orange-colored eyes. In their hands were a number of dagger-like weapons that would no doubt terrify the common man if they came face-to-face with them. That, and their fangs. As for Ritsuka, he felt more annoyed than anything, as did his green-eyed draconic ally.

"Vampires…bats…whatever." He remarked, watching as the mass of them flew towards the two of them.

His draconic friend was far more open in declaring her immediate disdain of the creatures. "They are annoyances, nothing more. Cover your ears, I will not be holding back!" Quickly, Ritsuka heeded her warning, slamming both palms against his ears as Seiya opened her beak-like jaw and let loose a piercing roar, so great that the soundwaves visibly ripped through the air. And the imp-like demons as well. They halted in mid-flight; mouths flung open in violent screams. Those whose bodies weren't able to handle vibrations were ripped asunder, scattering black and red chunks across their brethren.

In all, the roar lasted for barely twenty seconds, but for the Batlings, it had been an eternity, as well as an end to their pathetic existences. Shutting her mouth, Seiya flapped her wings and began flying once again. They'd already wasted enough time and any more disturbances she'd deal with using her claws and beak and teeth. Ritsuka held fast onto the aerial dragon as they sped towards their target.

Of course, they passed over the Bounded Field that had been erected around Central Park. Beyond it lay his children, his daughters. He clenched at the reigns of his dragon. _Helena, Ryoko, both of you just hold on for a little while longer. _He'd spared his own father the pain of worrying what life-or-death struggles meant his only child, at least until he revealed to him and his mother what sort of bizarre and dangerous world existed beneath the mundane one. His children had been born into that bizarre world, a world teeming with wonders and horrors the likes of which would have broken most people. Luckily, his daughters weren't most people…but they were still young, and they still had limits. As their father, it was his job to protect them when those limits were reached.

He could only pray that his children hadn't hit theirs.

That, and that their Servant, Koragg the Knight Wolf, was proving to be every bit as fearsome on a real battlefield as he had been in the training room. Such was the worry of a magus who was also a parent, of a father who deeply cared for his children.

"Ritsuka! Eyes up! The breach is growing!" Called his draconic friend.

Looking ahead, he saw his fears confirmed - a pillar of jet-black energy tinged with red and purple shooting up toward the night sky. With it came a rolling wave of dread and evil that made the blood of every human being in a ten-mile radius turn to ice. Even Ritsuka felt his blood chill, but only for a moment.

"Seiyaryu!" Commanded the Reclaimer of Human History, holding fast to the reigns of his dragon. Like a pair of torches, his eyes lit up with golden light, his body following shortly after. Tendrils of radiant flames rolled off his body then those of the Holy Knight Dragon, whose latent divine power resonated with those her rider. Wings spread out, the Divine Beast became a flame-coated arrow that dived straight into the swirling pillar of darkness.

Even with the protection of the "Immortal Flames", Ritsuka could feel the demonic energies nipping at him and Seiya, biting at them like millions of rats feasting on a corpse. In this case though, the corpse was still very much alive, and fighting back. He and the holy dragon flared up, pouring their collective strengths into the flames that coated them. The human took aim with his crossbow, the shining silver arrow proving to be a beacon as he plunged deeper and deeper into the base of the malice. Upon seeing what he believed to be the epicenter, his fingers squeezed the trigger. What flew was all the accumulated power he and Seiya had amassed, a golden bolt of purifying fire that cut a straight path through the darkness.

In Midtown West and Chinatown, similar pillars of mystical energies shot skyward, but their blacken color was intermingled with turquoise-colored lightning and bright red flames. Quickly the two masses began to twist and contort, almost as if they were in pain. If one listened, they could hear the death cries of hundreds of Infernal Spirits who thought they'd have a chance to taste the air of the Human World, such dreams were caught ruthlessly short.

Finally, the Harlem pillar turned completely from black to brilliant gold and blue, a marvel of dual colors that surpassed anything and everything within the City that Never Sleeps. What had once been darkness became a spiraling mass of heat and light that vanished in a haze of sparkles and whipping gales and tremors that shattered glass and steel alike. Those not enraptured by the awe clung to what they could as it felt like the world was reaching its end. But it wasn't the end…only the beginning.

**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()o o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**

Observing the three masses stood a hooded figure from atop the most iconic structure in all of New York City, the Empire State Building. He leaned his head back, his deep emerald eyes opening to reveal crackling arcs of lightning.

"Ah, I believe that's enough for one night. Can't have things growing too chaotic on the first day of the war." In a swirl of fire and lightning, the mysterious Servant vanished, having moved to the epicenter of the battle raging between humanity and its demonic invaders.

If he didn't step in, then no doubt the two sides would continue to wage war on one another until the sun rose, signaling the next day. As amusing as such a thing would be, now wasn't the time.

Not quite yet.

* * *

_**Central Park, 9:01 PM…**_

"Heh…seems Chaldea actually lives up to some of its hype, I'll give you guys that." Lloyd cracked as Dark Saber and Lancer of Hell continued their climactic duel. Sparks of fire and lightning cascaded down upon the humans who stood across from each other, casual as could be in spite of the superhuman melees occurring to the front and behind them. Such dissonant harmony wouldn't last for long. He grinned, "Xandred, cut this barrier open! Time we took this to the next level! If those bastards sealed up the Ley lines, we'll have to _unseal_ them!"

Helena's eyes widened while she whipped her head back. "Yan Qing! Stop him, now!"

Diarmuid's right arm had been reconstructed, a true testament to the skill of the younger Dragon Witch. Not for nothing did she earn the title "witch". Her work was quickly put to good use as the Irish Lancer called forth his Red Rose spear then dashed off to rejoining his Chinese comrade.

Xandred's yellow eyes narrowed spying the oncoming Lancer. With a dismissive snort, the batted aside Yan Qing, the mystical glow of his azure and gold-lined gauntlets finally fading as the dark magic that fueled them ran out. Then, he smashed his _zanbatō_ into the ground, sending a wave of debris slamming into the amber-eyed warrior. He was stunned, forced back giving the Nighlok the opportunity he'd needed. Quickly, _zanbatō _was struck into the ground; Xandred's free hand reached back to his waist, his fingers locking on the hilt of a newly materialized sword. In one swift move, he extended his arm, the thinner but no less ornate blade slashing upward.

"_**Kōryū Gaiseitō**_**!"**

_**SLISH!**_

It was over in an instant, as were the effects. Several sets of eyes looked up, and rightfully enlarged seeing the red line cutting through the Bounded Field that had held strong throughout the battle. Cracks spread out from that red line.

And then the entire thing shattered like the millions of windows that had been destroyed in the last two hours.

"What the…" Muttered Akara, his eyes twitching as a dark realization dawned on him.

"Yeah, he _**really **_has to die." Affirmed the German-Syrian girl, looking at the Nighlok with a mixture of amusement and anger. _So, he has two swords on top of being a hidden Berserker. Dammit, for a rageaholic, this lobster's got some pretty nifty tricks! _"I'll be taking his head."

"Save some for me!" Snarled Helena, her broadsword flaring up. "Koragg, keep Prince Douchebag busy! Yan Qing! Diarmuid, on your feet! And cut Lobster-Face down to size! Everyone else, we're taking his Master in!"

"Just try it, you little shits!" Retorted the British man, his body becoming reinforced unnatural steel as he slammed his fists together.

Between the two sides down came the two demons, breaking away from one another, their feet screeching across the ground until they were back on their respective sides. Koragg stood before the band of teenagers and Olympius alongside Lloyd. The two Servants locked eyes and readied themselves for one more clash, their respective weapons flaring up.

"I'll burn you to cinders, you traitorous bastard!" Snarled the Lancer, his two-sided spear assuming its true monstrous form. His body pulsed, as if a prelude to some monstrous transformation.

Likewise, light and darkness swirled about Darkalibur as hits wielder readied himself for another go-round. If he could have, he'd have grinned in excitement. Against his expectations, clashing steel with the Dragon Prince had proven quite entertaining. He was ready to take things even further. "You're welcome to try…hatchling."

All four teenagers behind him snickered while the already enraged Hell Servant went bug-eyed with anger. He was mere seconds away from kicking off the ground as Koragg was when a bolt of gold and green-tinged lightning struck the ground between the two sides.

"ENOUGH! THIS NIGHT OF WARFARE HAS COME TO A CLOSE!"

"On whose authority!?" Screamed the red-scaled demon prince.

Whipping around were arcs of fiery lightning that gradually began to fade, revealing a humanoid shape. Stepping forth, the figure revolved itself to be a human, a male of a something petite five-foot five. His pure black, greca cassock overcoat was completely unaffected by the smoldering holy flames that lay around him as well as dotted his body. Holding up a single wrinkle-laced hand, he looked across the battlefield, his sharp green eyes eventually falling on Olympius himself. In a flash, the salt-and-pepper-handed man shot his hand out, a bolt of golden lightning striking the Lancer's feet. He snarled as he took a single step back, his nose and senses telling him exactly what was burning in front of him.

"On the authority of this Grail War's Ruler, that is who!" Boomed the now-identified newcomer. Fittingly, all parties ceased their movements…but the venomous glares remained. Slowly, the old man turned his head to face the other Servant, Dark Saber, Koragg the Knight Wolf. There was a brief twinkle in his eyes that only a few caught before it was suppressed as he spoke. "Sheath your sword, Knight of the Underworld, there shall be no more bloodshed this night, that is my decree."

For one reason or another, the Morlock felt an almost immediate obligation to do as the gray-haired man said. There was something…eerily familiar about him, something that Koragg couldn't quite place. Only when he felt a comforting hand on his arm. Looking at his right, he saw Helena standing by him, telling him to obey the Ruler's command. Looking at Ryoko, he saw a similar request. Only then did the knight summon his shield and sheath his sword.

"What the hell is this?! Do you expect me to go quietly go home after all of this?! No, I refuse!" Screeched the red-skinned Nighlok. His two mortal opponents fell into immediate fighting positions knowing that if he planned on continuing to fight, so too would they.

Righteous anger flashed through the Ruler's green eyes, which were turned on the Nighlok. A second later and the latter was howling in pain as arcs of gold and white-colored lightning constricted around him, tearing through his crustacean body far easier than any of the Servants or humans' weapons did. Even with their winded state, the four humans and two Servants found the sight somewhat amusing to watch. As did Xandred's Master.

"Looks like we're pegged, Xandred! No use in denying it, besides, if we can't have the Ley lines then there's really nothing else we can do! Or rather, the top command won't let us do anything else. _Not yet_ anyway." His remark didn't go unnoticed as he'd spoken it loud enough for all to hear. Naturally, the Chaldea operatives looked at him with hard eyes, Ida and Helena looking ready to disobey the Ruler and make another attempt at cutting him down. Even the neutral Servant himself didn't look at all pleased with what he heard.

For that reason, the priest turned around to face him. "Were I allowed to…I'd think this holy flame of mine can burn your unholiness to cinders, send it straight to purgatory where it can be cleansed of all the evil it holds."

"Trust me, old man, there ain't no cleansing my soul. It's marked for life." Lloyd chuckled, holding up a hand to his chest. Shimmering into existence was a blood-red glyph that caught the teenagers' attention, as well as Koragg's.

"What, made a deal with the devil or something like that?" Ida snapped, trying to figure out what the glyph was. In seconds, she deduced it to be Middle-Eastern.

Ryoko quickly identified it as Persian.

"Yeah, something like that." He chuckled before turning his gaze to Olympius. Throughout the entire exchange, he'd never stopped glaring at the Knight Wolf. "Hey, hey, come on. You'll get another shot, your highness, after all this war is just getting started."

"As loathe as I am to admit it, that is true. But for tonight, it is _done_ with." The flame-totting Ruler looked upward, where he saw a quickly descending object. The briefest of a smile formed on his face as the object came closer. All too quickly did it become evident that it was a dragon, one of bright pink coloration and with a shape strongly resembling the pterodactyls of the prehistoric past.

Its rider dismounted not a moment later.

"Dad!" Shouted both platinum-haired sisters in naked joy.

Scorched and singed in various places, the professional interior designer gave a comforting smile to his two daughters, followed next by the two teenagers whom he'd welcomed into his home and also saw as his own children, followed next by the Lancer and Assassin, and lastly the Knight Wolf himself.

Koragg could see it in the middle-aged man's eyes and smile, relief and gratitude, all from his human heart. Somewhat embarrassed, all he could do was quietly nod in response, content with the fact that he'd kept his promise in looking after the man's daughters, his Masters.

Sucking in a breath and steadying himself, Ritsuka looked at the priestly Servant. Right off the bat, he knew him to be a Ruler Servant, which meant that this was to be a Great Holy Grail War. No one had told him about it.

"Ahem, though I'm not exactly the boss-"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Truth be told, the message is really meant for you, Mr. Fujimaru. You are, after all, the most well-known member of Chaldea, practically the lynchpin meaning if we axed you, the whole thing would come apart in due time." Lloyd cackled. His statement did not go over well with the opposing side…especially the two platinum blondes or the thirteen-foot Divine Beast who bore its fangs at him. "As I told your daughters…this is a declaration of war, from us…to you at Chaldea, the guardians of human history and order."

"And may I ask who it is you people are so I can start drawing up target boards with your faces or names on them?"

The British man thumped his chest, causing the same sigil to appear. "You'll find out soon enough. For now…think of us as heralds. Unlike the knockoff Infernal Spirits you fought all those years ago…we're the real deal, and who we serve isn't a king…" From the bottom of his feet came whirling tendrils of sand that gradually began to rise up. Similar storms rose up around Xandred and Olympius, both of whom glared at their enemies. Lloyd held up his right hand, a mass of malevolent energy dancing in his palm, illuminating his face. Madden glee danced in his green eyes while his lips rung in vile laughter. "Who we serve…is a _**god**_, one who'll turn this disgusting blue world into beautiful red paradise."

"Gee, that's informative." Helena rolled her eyes.

"Hey, hey, I thought you guys would like that! Come on, you kids are just like me!"

"_Va te faire enculer!" _Yelled both sisters, taking a threatening step forward only to be held back by their father and Akara. The latter of which glared at the British magus with cold slitted eyes while Ida stabbed her scythe into the ground, cold malice seeping through her clenched teeth and glowing eyes.

Lloyd looked at the myriad of expressions before waving at them, his lower side almost completely covered by sand. "Until next time, brats of Chaldea. Here's hoping next time we get some more time to play together." First went his hands, then the rest chest and finally his head. For a few seconds later, the sand crumbled onto the ground, no trace of Llyod in the granular substances as he left the battlefield.

"This isn't over, humans. We'll be back, and I'll cut you all down." Snarled Xandred, vanishing not long after his Master.

Finally, only Olympius was left. He seemed to be struggling against the teleportation spell, forcing himself to remain. The reason why was Koragg stared back at him with a merciless gaze that infuriated the demonic dragon even more. "Listen well, Dark Saber! This will not be the last time we cross blades! Mark my words, I will have your traitorous head! Do you hear me!?" Yelled the draconic Inferno Spirit, pointing his spear at his newest, most hated enemy.

The Knight Wolf was unfazed by his threats, but by obligation and personal choice responded. "And you'd do well to heed my words, Prince of Demons. Practice your spearmanship, you'll need it next time we meet for, _I _promise you this, as my sword pierced through your scales this night…it will do so again. And when that time comes, you won't be getting back up."

Flames lit the spear and eyes of the winged warrior. Indeed, a promise was made, a promise between demons involving the shedding of blood. By its very nature, it would be carried out, the only question was whose blood would it be.

And who's blood would run in the crossfire.

Ritsuka looked around the thoroughly demolished park, there was barely a patch of greenery left in sight. A pang of regret and even horror swelled up from his gut and quickly spread through him as he surveyed the damage. In the distance, he could hear the rest of Chaldea beginning to move in. Questions came in through his commlink, both physical and mental.

_A Great…Holy Grail War. One featuring demons and the powers of Hell. _Grimaced the veteran about to fall forward. Noticing his uneasy, his daughters were quickly there to catch him. They told him to sit down, to rest and recover his strength. It was bittersweet as _they_ were the ones he feared for.

His fears were confirmed as he looked past Dark Saber to Ruler. Resignation was the term of his face, for the frown he fixed the veteran adventurer with. The coming darkness-no, the darkness had already descended upon them. With it would come war, but therein lay the worst part of all of this.

The war wasn't his, it was Helena and Ryoko's.

And if he had to guess, Koragg's as well.

_May you live in interesting times indeed. _Bemoaned the black-haired Japanese man as both his daughters began to perform medical magecraft on him. He wouldn't be the only one in need of medical aid…or in need of a drink or two.

* * *

**And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end. Of the first battle of this Holy Grail, or shall I say, **_**Great**_** Holy Grail War. No victors and no losers, well, unless you count Ritsuka's hope that his kids wouldn't land themselves in a massive shitstorm like he did. Granted it's not just him as future chapters will show. **

**I'll be entire frank in saying that this first clash of opposing sides was entirely based off of the first battle between Siegfried and Karna from Apocrypha; naturally, Koragg and Olympius is going to parallel theirs. Minus the mutual respect that developed on both ends. And the fact that Olympius is pretty much Karna's total opposite…and Koragg is no doormat like Siegfried. I'm sure you all get the picture. Saber of (***) and Lancer of Hell will go around may times in this story as things are just getting started. **

**On the Hell Faction's side, yep, Xandred is both a Saber AND a Berserker, he's got the Double Summon Skill like Semiramis because let's be honest, he's practically a walking, talking, screaming, drinking mass of superhuman rage. His Noble Phantasms, I'll be straight with you, dear readers…Xandred has FOUR of them. One of them you all got to see, Kōryū Gaiseitō, the smaller of Xandred's two swords. As one would expect, in Power Rangers' source material, Super Sentai, pretty much every weapon has a rather fitting (or just cool sounding) name and more details on what they can do or how they're made. Naturally, this story is going to incorporate some of those details. In particular, "Kōryū Gaiseitō" means "Descending Dragon World-Covering Sword", in Samurai/Shinkenger, it's Xandred's secondary sword and actually looks like something an average person can wield, give or take. As for his other sword, that **_**zanbatō**_**…heheh, you all will have to wait until the next scuffle featuring Saber of Hell. **

**Oh, and in case any of you are wondering, Xandred's Double Summon Skill doesn't mean the Hell Faction won't have its own Berserker. I imagine he'll be a bit of surprise to some of you. **

**In the meantime, translations! **

**_Hosenscheisser_ is German for "coward" and _Va te faire enculer_ is French for "Go fuck yourself". Oh, and _mon chéri_ is French for "My darling", as you can imagine, Joan will only use this pet name during certain situations. **

**Oh, and for those of you hungering for the eventual giant monster fights, be patient. They'll be PLENTY of those in the future.**

**Next chapter the cast won't quite be leaving NYC as there's plenty of fallout as to be expected, and a special little something is coming up in-story. As for what that something is, you all will have to wait until the next chapter to find out! Until then, and Happy MLK day! And let me know what you thought of the sword emoji serving as a scene break, it's a new addition made by a friend of mine. Hope you all enjoyed the future chapter of 2020!**


	11. Chapter 10-New World Lights

**Hello, and welcome back, everyone! Yet again, it seems the decade's proven to be one hell of a ride so far, one that I'm sure we all could use a break from. Well, hopefully, the next installment of this little story can do that. After all the action of the last few chapters, I can say that this one's going to be on the lighter and softer side of things. Of course, that doesn't mean it'll be dull, or at least I hope not. It is chapter ten and as of last week, this story is officially one year old. A pretty good milestone and one I'd like to thank everyone for. So, without further ado…**

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Fate/Dark Order **_

_**Chapter 10 - New World Lights**_

* * *

_**Auten Plaza Hotel, 11:55 PM…**_

"And that's pretty much what happened." Helena finished, a shrug of her shoulders and sigh escaping her lips afterward. She and her sister had said all there could be said, there was nothing else left to do except waiting.

Her parents, and arguably the rest of Chaldea, was in a similar boat. That's what made the mood so suffocating. Ritsuka and Joan looked between their two daughters who sat directly across from them. It was just the four of them in this lavish hotel room. On one hand, they were superiors and subordinates giving after-action reports, but on the other hand, they were parents and children. The latter won out over the former. Seconds after they were indoors, seemingly safe and secure, Ritsuka and Joan had put up as many defensive wards as they could to ensure there were no unwanted visitors. Every bone in their bodies was telling them that whatever had transpired in the last five hours was nowhere near close to being over.

Their suspicions were confirmed as their daughters sat down and told them their side of the story, of how their "investigation" had gone. Ritsuka was in no way surprised that his daughters had wound up fighting a demon: a Servant of all things. What…ticked him off a little was the fact that of all the possible Servants for them to fight, it was a _Lancer_.

"Well, you didn't win, but you didn't lose either. You scored some hits on that bastard prince, right?" His wife remarked, being the first to break the silence that came after Helena finished giving her report. She and Ryoko looked between each other, then back at their mother and grinned. Joan's face morphed into a proud grin as she stepped around the table and hugged the two. "That's my girls. And causing a nice little bit of collateral damage along the way!" Her yellow eyes honed in on her husband, who wore a knowing smirk that Joan knew all too well. "They did pretty good, don't you think?"

"From the sounds of things, this Olympius, 'Lancer of Hell', walked away with a bruised ego, and you both came back alive so I agree with your mother." With a chuckle, he joined his wife and daughters, the four of them making room on the black leather couch the latter two had previously been occupying. It was a tad bit of a tight fit, but the Fujimaru Family was used to such things, especially when there was something worth celebrating. While no one had won their respective fights, they'd done well enough, not to mention in their own way, they'd all prevented a greater catastrophe from unfolding; that in itself was something worth celebrating to them.

Of course, that didn't mean that they could ignore what was going on around them. Doing so would have been immensely foolish and ensured they weren't able to meet back together like this again.

Ryoko and Helena stretched their hands out, fingertips ablaze; the flames rose and shaped into a circle, a viewing spell. Within replayed the memories of their battle, the greatest real-world struggle they'd had in months. Through it, Ritsuka and Joan watched them engage swarms of vampire-like entities similar to some of those they'd encountered at the United Nations Building. Joan had developed an instant dislike for them and took great joy in watching her daughters burn and slice as many of them as they could before turning their attention to the big fish, or rather, big dragon. Almost immediately, Joan's interests peaked. Hearing the Servant's description from her daughters was one thing, seeing it was another, and quite a spectacle as she watched them and their Servant do battle with the self-proclaimed demon prince.

Across from her, her husband's gaze was more…calculated. Like Joan, Ritsuka was intrigued by the dual nature of their daughters' foe, a demon and a dragon: a demonic dragon. Members of the dreaded _**Infernalis Draconis**_. Hell dragons were known to be...well, contained to the various underworlds, which were themselves contained in the Reverse Side of the World, whose barrier he and his wife and their children had been forced to reinforce almost ten years ago. Then again, Ritsuka watched the memory-borne footage and concluded that this being _wasn't _from their world-no, their dimension. Quietly, he looked to his right, where the balcony lay and the city of New York City hummed along in spite of the night's hectic events. Out there, along with several other Chaldea operatives and Servants, was Dark Saber; Koragg the Knight Wolf, Servant of his daughters…and a certified "otherworlder".

"You're thinking he's from the same place as Koragg, aren't you?" His wife inquired, pulling his attention back to the inside of the room.

"Um, we _know _he is, mom, dad." Ryoko pointed out, bringing the parents' attention to her and her sister. "When we fought, Koragg recognized him, or at least knew him. He said that he really was a prince, son of the Demon Queen. Queen Ban...sheera or something."

"Which means we got to kick the butt of genuine demon royalty! Talk about a hell of a way to spend our time in New York City!" Exclaimed the oldest, jumping to her feet with a jubilant grin on her face. It fell seconds after she fully digested her own words, the full weight of them hitting her as she grimaced along with her family. That, and the gravity of the current situation, as well as the situation that was to come. "Which also means he's going to be coming after us again. The guy doesn't have a very high opinion of humans, we can say that much."

Her mother snorted. "Of course he doesn't. He's not human therefore views most of humanity, if not all of humanity, as ants at best." Joan leaned forward and touched the projection, bringing the stream of memories to a pause. Her golden eyes focused in on the weapon wielded by the demonic dragon. Like her youngster child, she disliked being called a "professor" or anything of the sort, but she was for all intents and purposes one of the world's leading experts on dragons, and for good reason. She knew the winged reptiles quite well, and the weaponry that could be forged from their fearsome bodies. No better an example could be found in the double-sided spear that Lancer of Hell had used to combat her children and their Servant. A work of dark craftsmanship that put to shame a quarter of the spears wielded by Chaldea's Lancers. Fast forwarding the video, she saw how true she was in how Diarmuid had struggled with all his might to hold back the ferocious swings of the demon. "Lancer of Hell indeed…"

"Next time, I'll break that stupid spear over his head. Provided Koragg doesn't get to him first." Helena grumbled.

Her younger sister shrugged. "Eh, something tells me we might have to settle for either Saber of Hell or his Master. Speaking of which, mom, dad, any word on who this Lloyd Valentine is?" Ryoko asked.

Joan leaned back, crossing her legs and scratching the side of her head with an annoyed grunt. "Word is they're working on that. Hoping that they can have something up by the morning, but I'm not holding my breath." When her eyes looked at her husband's, they were sharp as razors, just as his were. Time and experience had taught them both quite a bit, sharpened them from their initial selves, his somewhat meek and uncertainty and her youthful hot-headedness. They had far more responsibilities now than they had back then, namely two big ones. "From what we've seen…this Lloyd guy…he's going to be trouble. He's bloodthirsty but smart, and from I can gather and from what Akara and Ida told me, he has next to no regard for life, especially civilian life."

Nodding in agreement, Ritsuka walked over and requested the image to be sped up showing the mysterious British blond. "He lives to fight." Concluded the black-haired man. "That said, between him and Saber of Hell, he's obviously the calmer one. I'm going to guess he was a former soldier, maybe British SAS. That means we're really going to need to scrub through their databases to find any info on his guy."

"Really? You're already jumping to something like he's been disavowed?" Helena asked.

Ryoko shrugged her shoulders. "It's not like it'd be the first time one of the UK's 'special operations' soldiers went rogue. Maybe he left a body count behind we can tra…aaaahhh." Much to her annoyance, the yawn came in too fast for her to stop. No, rather Ryoko found she didn't have the strength to fight it back. She'd been fighting the urge for the last ten minutes to be honest. Her sister was in a similar boat as she could see Helena was fighting back a yawn as well. Neither of them wanted to go to sleep, yet their bodies were subtly telling them that they had to. It wasn't like they'd just had a run of the mild sparring session, they'd needed actual medical attention when the battle with the demons had ended, as had several others.

A hand fell atop her head, causing her to look up. She both loved and hated it when her parents did that. In this case, she felt a tad too exhausted to fight her mother's touch, or her embrace.

"Hey, if you want to catch a nap, go for it. Both of you." Spoke the fashion designer, sending a side glance to her eldest child who caught it. Joan laughed, a sound that brought a joyous smile to her husband's face. They would both be up all night, and their daughters would be snoozing away. Both of them could fight it as much as they wanted, but exhaustion would catch up with them. They'd gone hard from the afternoon up until the night, fighting enemies that were a step or three above their weight class. While proud they'd come out alive and whole, it wasn't like they were invincible; that was a lesson that Helena more so than Ryoko had learned the hard way in her earlier years. "Ah, guess he's back. About time."

The Fujimaru Family looked to the balcony where an unexpected wind blew. In a shimmer of gold and purple sparkles appeared the familiar armored figure of Koragg, the Knight Wolf. Upon looking around the hotel living room, he placed a hand to his chest and bowed in respect.

"How'd it go? Were you able to find any sign of them?" Helena questioned, stepping upfront to address her Servant.

"I am loath to admit, even I could not. At least…nothing worthwhile." Answered the Morlock, rising to his full imposing figure. His voice was deep as ever, but the disappointment in it was clear. Said disappointment also manifested on the faces of his teenage Masters. "What demons I and the rest of the search party encountered were no more than beasts and grunts, hardly capable of giving up any worthwhile information. I attempted to sense the location of Lancer and Saber of Hell, as well as their Masters, but my efforts turned up short. Either they're cloaking themselves, or they have left the area of my range."

Ritsuka and Joan exchanged looks. Neither of the knight's proposed explanations particularly sat well with them. "Regarding the first option," began the legendary Master. "To cloak themselves, would the enemy need dark magic on par with yours?"

"Yes, they would, and to do that they would require a user of the dark arts of equal or greater skill than myself. Were such a being present, I no doubt would have sensed them." He responded.

"If they're greater than yours, then they likely took steps to cloak themselves from your gaze. Likewise, they're probably aware that you're running around and on our side." Joan echoed with narrowed eyes. While she was no strategist of forward-thinking like her husband, she could follow the clues where they pointed her. Right now, they were all pointing in one certain direction, one that she didn't like. Rising from her seat, she made for the balcony. "Not counting you, we've got over a hundred people out turning over every corner of this big-ass city, including fellow Servants. All that and we're still coming up with nothing. It says something about who it is we're facing."

"Um, mom, is it also possible that they're…laying low for now? On Ruler's request?" Helena offered, feeling a tad nervous about speaking up. "I mean, it's just my guess but that Ruler…he seemed kind of like Auntie Jeanne. If he's some sort of saint-"

"Then he definitely wasn't the kind of opponent Olympius or that Saber could have fought while battling the rest of us. On that note, he could have taken a swipe at Koragg if we kept on fighting." Out of the corner of her eye, Ryoko watched her and her sister's Servant. The statement could have easily been read as an insult; Koragg was a warrior, and a proud one at that. A part of her was nervous that he'd take her statement as a crack to his pride; to her relief, he didn't. In fact, looking over at Koragg, Ryoko could have sworn that he was deep in thought himself. Looking back, he seemed to have recognized the hooded Ruler on some level.

Koragg looked over to Ritsuka, his dark visor making his face unreadable, at least on a surface level. Ritsuka could read him well. Looking down, the human reached out and touched his right hand with his left. The Knight Wolf could see it through his supernatural eyes, the throbbing in his right hand, the hand that had held the Command Seals to the most powerful warriors in human history, who'd also helped save the world. Now it was under threat again, and the world seemed to be calling to him to answer the call yet again.

The man didn't look too happy about it, nor did his wife from what he gathered in the sideways glance that he directed her way. His own intuition told him the reason was the two teenage girls who were looking between their parents. Just like them, Koragg could see the exhaustion borne from the previous battle catching up to them. By the shadow of a doubt, the girls were strong, strong enough to warrant his respect…but they were still young. Ryoko, in particular, had bags forming under her eyes as she was likely the closest to falling to slumber. Briefly, he wondered how long either of them would sleep; surely it would take some time to regain all the strength they'd exerted in keeping up with Servants such as himself and their newly revealed enemies.

"Helena, Ryoko, I think we've all had enough for one night." Ritsuka spoke, directing his words to his daughters causing them to groan.

"In other words, it's time to go to bed." Helena groaned with a sour expression on her face, one that was mirrored by her sister. A sigh left her as she hung her head in comedic defeat. "Alright, alright, we'll take a shower then hit the sheets. But tomorrow, we're going out exploring. Come on, Ryoko."

"Last I checked, I never agreed to anything like that." Spoke the shorter-haired witch, stubbornly crossing her arms and putting on a front. It fooled absolutely no one, but it did draw amusement from her father. "Fine. I'll go shower first."

"What? Hey! No way! I'm going first!" Barked Helena, kicking off the floor in a flash with her sister following shortly after her.

Joan groaned while Ritsuka let out a stream of laughter that only grew as a series of crashes and bangs could be heard coming from the bathroom. No doubt the sisters were now fighting over who got to take a bath first, a recurring trait that hadn't changed since they were little kids. Odds were it wouldn't change until they grew up more and separated from each other.

Watching the scene with visible bewilderment before shaking his head, Koragg looked back at Ritsuka. "With all due respect, I will continue my search along with everyone else. It would not be wise to leave enemies such as Saber and Lancer of Hell to roam freely." His gaze went to his right hand, his sword hand. Both parents knew the look and feel of the dark knight well, Joan knew it better than her husband. It was the throbbing, the yearning to finish the battle that had been started. Meanwhile, Ritsuka could also see an air of caution swirling around the armored warrior. "The son of Queen Bansheera…and the ruler of the Nighlok, for our enemies to call forth such Servants…I fear their end goal will be nothing short of the destruction of this world."

"…That deep, are we?" Scoffed the witch. It wasn't like the information was big news to her, it wasn't. Having gotten a relatively good enough look at the damage done to the Ley lines in the city, she already concluded that whatever enemy they were facing wasn't going to settle for merely destroying a city or two. They were aiming higher, and the knightly Servant's words confirmed her deepest fears. Her husband's as well.

A dark look had crossed the veteran Master's face, one that Koragg felt was entirely warranted. Though their interactions had been relatively brief, he'd come to respect Ritsuka Fujimaru. The man possessed the quiet composure and rationality that was required of leadership, not to mention he'd survived the night with relatively minor injuries. Like his Masters, he too had engaged in battle, against who he believed to be Olympius' Master. Koragg quietly mused on the irony of it, he and his Masters battling a draconic demon, and their father battling a magus who fought with fire and commanded demons. Without a doubt, the Fujimaru Family had entered into a war with another, this Ebner Rotfeld as Ritsuka had identified him. He'd also mentioned that as a fire magus, the man possessed a one-sided intense animosity against the Fujimarus. Koragg felt like he'd unintentionally completed some sort of chain link in having aroused the anger of Olympius.

As he took a seat in front of the seated parents, he stood up straight and gave them his full attention. He could sense that a talk was coming.

"Koragg," Ritsuka started. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you for protecting our girls."

"As their Servant, I have sworn an oath to always protect them, no matter the threat. I swear that I shall never renege on that promise."

"We'll be holding you to that, Knight Wolf." It was a tad surprising to hear the Witch of Orléans give such a remark in what sounded rather close to a heartfelt tone. An explanation lay in the brief wavering of her eyes, they moved to the hallway which contained the elongate bathroom now occupied by her daughters. Worry and affection laced together before turning into harden steel as she turned her attention back to Koragg. "Now listen up, whatever the hell this is…this new Holy Grail War, our daughters are more than likely going to be participants. And they better damn well know who and what it is that they're fighting against. _We _better damn well know. Those new enemies are from your world, they're monsters like you so you better damn well know something about them."

"Whatever information you have, we can pass onto everyone else…but…for obvious reasons, we'd like to know first. Sorry if that sounds a bit selfish." Offered the blue-eyed man.

"It is no trouble; your daughters will be fighting on the front lines so your concern is…understandable." Began the swordsman before reaching out with his armored hands, both glowing a faint violet tint. "The enemies that we confronted tonight, they are indeed from my world, though I have no personal history with either of them. Like me…they are monsters…and like me…they met their end at the same type of foes, warriors much like you two." A noticeable pause came as he shifted his gaze toward Ritsuka, an act that didn't go unnoticed by either. "Heroes of justice I believe is what you'd call them. Power Rangers. Like me, they fought such groups…and like me, they were bested."

"Meaning that they died in battle." Ritsuka noted, seeing a picture forming in his mind. It was the same process that he'd repeated a hundred times during the Grand Orders, and continued to do so afterward. He was visualizing the situation, no matter how absurd or crazy it was. "And now…they're back for another go-round…in our world. That's why you were summoned, isn't it?"

Hearing the words seemed to send a jolt through the knight. "Yes," he said in a quiet voice. "I am…beginning to believe that is the case." _And yet…I can't help but feel that there is more to this. Surely my skills, great as they are…surely they warrant more than simply two demons running amok in the human world. Alaya…what else aren't you telling me? What else don't I know? _Almost immediately, he mentally laughed at the questions he asked. Questions that wouldn't receive direct answers. The answers were there though, they just had to be found.

And Koragg would find them, likely in blood and steel as they usually were.

* * *

_**Long Island City, 1:59 AM…**_

"So…nothing?"

"It's not like it's our fault!" Roared the blue-skinned demon, stomping his foot against the ground, leaving spider-web cracks. It was better the ground than a support beam, which he'd have crushed with minimal effort. For that reason, the other two demons had to take careful steps to keep their rowdy companion's temper in check. Given their current situation, it could be the death of them all. "Just let me really go out and look! Screw those weirdoes scrounging around! And that Morlock! I could take him down if he gets in our way!"

Beside him, the female laughed, her mocking tone causing a tick mark to form on the earth-aligned demon's forehead as he turned to her. "Yeah, sure. You'd be able to handle him. About the same way you were able to handle-"

"I'll crush both of them! You hear me!" Barked the earth demon, turning his full ire towards his female companion. "I'll rip him to shreds, you just watch!"

"I'll do more than just watch." Seethed the winged demon, her eyes flashing into snake-like slits, likewise, the reptilian eyes of her helmet glowed an ominous yellow. Around her rose an acidic yellow aura tinged with red that began to quickly eat away at the ground beneath her feet. As her blue-skinned comrade was close to breaking the floor beneath them through sheer brute force, she was going to eat through it using her own venomous powers. They heavily contrasted one another, yet their goals were the same, and their hatred burned just as hot as one another.

Likewise, the third member of their group simmered with rage towards the draconic demon that had run rampant throughout the night. Unlike the two before him, he was far better at controlling his emotions, which also made him the best and most capable leader of the group. "Loki, Vypra." Spoke the gold-scaled demon, catching the other two's attention. "Calm yourselves. Our chance to take revenge on Olympius will come in time, but we must be alive to take it. That can only happen if we continue to play this smart. That means keeping our heads down, for now anyway."

Heeding his words, the other two quelled their demonic auras, gradually regaining control of their emotions. A tranquil silence descended upon the three while a summer wind blew through the half-completed building they'd been using as their hideout. It was temporary of course, they could ill afford to stand there, or perhaps even this human city in spite of its vastness. Not to mention if their target had vacated the area, then there was no reason for them to stand. More so given that Olympius wasn't the _only _demon that had now taken up residence in this world. Unexpected was the word that came to mind, and with the unexpected came danger that the demonic trio had to be careful about approaching. They were strong…but they all knew all too well that their strength had limits.

The golden-colored wind demon simmered with quiet anger, knowing the truth of the statement.

Before them stretched a city of lights, not quite unlike that of the human city they'd spent close to a year trying to conquer, or re-conquer only to have their efforts end in failure. This city, New York City, it was thrice as large as Mariner Bay, a true concrete jungle in which one, even a demon, could find some way to hide out within. Even here, high up in an unfinished skyscraper that offered a bird's eye view of the surrounding area, Long Island City, he believed it was called. Right across from where the intense battles between their "brethren" had taken place. Through his supernatural senses, the golden demon could see for miles upon miles. Through his mind's eye, he could see the aftermath of the battles. Such destruction reminded him of his kind's past battles with the Lightspeed Rangers, save for one minor change up.

While Chaldea was dedicated to protecting humanity, they had a little issue with employing inhuman entities, or beings who drew their powers from inhuman sources. Not to mention, their resources stretched further than he'd imagined. He wasn't expecting to see dragons, or humans _riding _dragons. The Batlings never stood a chance against such beasts, and even the humans had surprised him.

Most of all, he knew these "Servants", weren't to be trifled with lightly.

"Uh, Diabolico?"

"What is it, Loki?"

He watched his blue-skinned friend closely, as well as their sole feminine member. The accusatory glare the latter shot the former told the spear-wielding demon all that he needed to know about what was running through his friend's mind.

"He wants to team up with the humans." Vypra sneered.

"I do not! I was suggesting an alliance with the Morlock!" Loki snapped.

"Who is allied with the humans-nay, is _subservient _to humans!" It was as if the act of speaking words caused vile to swell up within the female demon as she angrily stormed off, but not too far. At best she stood apart from the two male demons, quietly steaming in her own anger. "Two demons, a child of Queen Bansheera and a Morlock, the legendary Knight Wolf…serving humans! Unbelievable! I refuse, do you understand me!? I will not bend my knee to those hairless monkeys!" Thundered the short-haired woman, her eyes flashing red.

"Vypra, that's not what I'm talkin' about." Loki attempted to explain. "All I'm saying is that maybe we got to the Knight Wolf and see if we can work out some sort of deal."

"And what sort of deal, Loki?!" Quick as her namesake, she snapped to the earth demon. While her face was one of pure rage, it was clear doubt and unease were mixed in. They were fueling the rage right alongside her pride. "What do we have that we can offer the legendary Knight Wolf!? Certainly not good housing accommodations!"

"Vypra!" Shouted the trio's leader, attempting to calm things down before they grew too hectic. For the sake of the pride of his companions, he wouldn't say it, fear hung heavily over all of them. They were demons, their natural function was in invoking fear in their enemies, not feeling it themselves. But even if they were demons…they were still living creatures, creatures that could feel a wide range of emotions. Love, loss, rage, sadness, and lastly…fear. His clawed fingers flexed themselves. "Koragg, the Knight Wolf…to find him here of all places. I was curious why he wasn't present in the Shadow World with the rest of us; perhaps speaking to him will give me an answer."

"Could be a good ice-breaker if we sit down and talk." Mused the rapier-wielding demon. "Diabolico, Loki, if we approach him, that'll mean approaching the humans as well. You both have to know that."

"I do! Believe me, I know! It's just…" Trailing off, the earthen demon thought back to the battle they'd observed several hours before. As a warrior, it'd gotten his blood boiling. A part of him wanted to step out of the shadows and join in, preferably in going after the traitorous prince they once called an ally. For a short period of time anyway. "I remember the stories about him…about how…honorable he is. I mean, it's not like he'll cut us down on sight, will he?"

"Unless we provoke him, no. Provoking him should be the last thing we should even think about doing." Answered the trio's leader, looking up to the pale light of a fading gibbous moon. In a few weeks, it'd be a new moon. In other words, no moon, at least to the naked eye. Diabolico could feel it in his bones, when that time happened, something big would likely go down. He had to figure out where they were when that happened. Deciphering the mystery that was the Knight Wolf was likely a part of that. "He is no longer serving the Master of the Underworld, instead he has offered his sword in service of the humans, this organization called Chaldea. It was more militant than the last organization."

"From what I understand, there was a crisis over twenty years ago when this entire planet was at risk of being razed, humanity destroyed and its history erased at the hands of the…Demon King." The title came with her mocking laugh.

"And the slayer of said king is the father of the pair of humans that the Knight Wolf now calls his Masters." Diabolico pointed out, causing Vypra's arrogance to dry up in the blink of an eye.

Loki knew that look in his old friend's eyes. It was his thinking look, and he had a lot to consider. Quietly, he decided to add his two cents in. "Those two girls…are we sure that they're human? I mean, the power I felt from them, and seeing them wield hellfire and summon a demon like us…it got me thinking."

"They're witches." Diabolico clarified, seeing where his old friend was coming from. It was undeniable that watching the battle had exposed them to quite a bit of information, quite a number of variables. A low chuckle fell from his lips as he mused at the prospect of a dark knight swearing an oath of loyalty to a pair of witches. It was incredibly poetic, but it could also be useful. "For now…I believe it's best we keep our distance, but tail the Knight Wolf. Olympius will not let such a slight against him slide, especially at the hands of a demon that has chosen to ally with humanity, or at least appeared to do so."

"What about the faction that Olympius has aligned with?" Vypra inquired, a dark look on her face. "The humans that his Master was with, they all _reeked _of chaos magic."

"Odds are those humans won't stay human for long, not at the rate they're going." Chimed in the earth demon. He didn't particularly care for demons who had once been human; whereas some demons held prejudiced views on such, Loki never could find it in himself to hold such views. Call it indifference, call it sympathy. "What those guys were trying to do…it's almost like what we tried to do to Mariner Bay."

"Agreed, but something tells me that whatever lot Olympius has thrown himself in with will not stop at just this one city, no matter how vast. The Ley lines…I have felt it, seen it, they're attempting this all across the planet." Diabolico explained to his two long-time companions. Sparing them both aside glances, he could see the revelation had an...impact on them. Contrary to what one would have thought, they didn't seem too happy to hear the news. "In addition to Olympius and Xandred, our fear that…group...has more of our kind amongst them. No doubt they all came through the portal."

Against the warm night air, Loki, a fearsome and stubborn demon in his own right, shivered. "It makes me wonder just how many of us made it through. Those guys…the cyborg and alien, they tried to stop them, but even they fell by the wayside."

Putting a hand to her hip, Vypra scoffed in disgust and annoyance at their unseen rivals and enemies that were no doubt out there. Lurking somewhere in this world of magecraft that they all found themselves in. Normally, it served as a battleground between humanity and its greatest legends, now it was going to be getting some…more ghastly additions to the mix. "We know for a fact that those robotic cats made it through. Damn bastards made sure they were the first ones through the portal before anyone else could stop them." Her grim face cracked into a wicked smile as she elbowed her wind-aligned companion. "On the upside, we don't need to worry about Thrax or meatbag old man."

"Come to think of it, how many of us actually made it through?" Loki questioned, recalling what had been without a doubt one of the most stressful moments of his existence. Most people thought that death was the end, but it wasn't at least not for demons. As creatures of darkness, they were bounded to what one could arguably call hell, the Shadow World. Existing there was a hellish existence…but escaping it had provided to be a venture that made all their past traumas seem almost pale in comparison. There had been no end to the number of beings who'd attempted to escape the nightmarish afterlife as he and his comrades had. They had succeeded, but so too had countless others, some of whom Loki believed were _better off _wandering the desolate wasteland for the rest of eternity.

It went without saying that the draconic prince was one of them, damn near top of the list.

Diabolico looked up to the moon, its glow being rivaled by the sea of lights that stretched out before him. Once upon a time, all humanity had were torches that could just barely light up the darkness. Now mankind had progressed to being able to turn the darkness of the night into the day with a little effort. There was a time he'd have scoffed at the sight…but times had changed, he had changed. "Loki," he started, his voice level. "I honestly don't know." Looking at his two friends, he saw the unease spread along with their faces. No shows of boastful pride or arrogant denial that they were the only lucky ones. "Of those who escaped the Shadow World…I know of a few, some of which we'd best stay away from…but I cannot give either of you a definite answer. All I know is that we have a second chance at life…and a chance at revenge." Turning to face his two lifelong companions, the golden demon's eyes blazed with fierce determination, said determination manifested in the wind, which howled in tandem with his burning soul.

The same determination burned in the eyes of his fellow demons, his brother and sister in arms. Their fangs came exposed as their faces bore sharp grins. In accordance with Diabolico, their determination flared up, manifesting as invisible auras of demonic energy.

Ground, sea, and sky, the perfect trinity that governed the world itself, all three in accordance with one another.

Then the earth rumbled.

"Eh, now that's done, let's eat!" Chirped the blue-skinned demon, turning his back to his compatriots and hurrying over to a series of bags that he'd corned off next to one of the steel beams.

Vypra blinked in naked shock while Diabolico's lips curved into a thin smile. His nose had long since caught the whiff of food that came assorted items, the food that his long-time friend had brought with him. He'd quietly wondered why Loki said he'd be back a minute later than Vypra, the moment he caught sight of the bags he knew why.

"You…you can't be serious." Vypra gaped, staring at the two brown-colored bags that her slower-witted but no less committed companion held in his hands. Sweat collected on her brow as her eyebrows twitched, the smell of grease filling her nostrils. "You…you…you…!"

"I got us something to eat for dinner! Good thing this night's events scared the humans enough to left behind their food. We can't plot our revenge on empty stomachs, can we?" Stated the cobalt-themed demon with a jubilant smile while he handed one bag to Diabolico, who graciously took the bag without a moment's hesitation. A second later and he was reaching into the bag, pulling out a chili-covered French fry then popping it into his mouth. Vypra could do nothing but gape at him.

"A-Are you…D-Diabolico, t-t-that's-!?"

"Dinner." Spoke the scepter-wielding demon in a casual tone as he turned his winged back to his female friend. "I'm sure you can use your powers to heat your food up if it's gotten a little cold. The food should not go to waste, after all."

Flabbergasted, the water demon watched with a twitchy eye as he headed back toward the ledge. Sitting down cross-legged and eating his food as casually as possible. Try as she might, Vypra couldn't force any words to come out of her mouth, all she could do was bear witness with a twitching eyebrow. Then came the very loud smacking that woke her from her short stupor. Snapping to the side, she found Loki already busy chowing down on one of the burgers he'd gotten. He looked up to Vypra with a crumb-covered face, then grinned.

Vypra's expression turned into a straight frown. "You better have brought me something to eat."

* * *

_**July 17**__**th**__**, 6:11 AM**_

_**Auten Plaza Hotel…**_

"Rising with the sun, are you?"

The teenager chuckled in amusement at the knight's statement. She was doing her best to keep her voice down as not to wake up the rest of her family, albeit it was most likely a lost cause. Knowing her parents, they were probably already up, spending whatever time they could cuddle next to one another. "If I was really doing that, I would have gotten up about an hour ago. Instead, I choose to get some more shut-eye in." Helena stretched her arms up in a yawn while moving towards her Servant. She promptly dropped down into the nearby chair, her head leaned back taking in the warmth of the early morning wind. "You know, you can take the armor off."

"I cannot."

"Because you don't want or you literally can't?"

Koragg regarded the older half of his Masters. His response had piqued her interest and she was now looking at him with her full attention. It made him feel…it compelled him to fully explain himself. "Helena, what you see before me is my true form. I am a warrior, it's what I was born for."

At first, she was silent. Surely, she was taking in all that he'd just said. Her legs hiked up, crossing beneath her, further driving home how young she was in both body and arguably mind. "Then…can't you use magic to alter your appearance? If your dark magic is really top-notch, surely you can use it to take on more…I don't know…scary form."

He looked at her like she'd just asked the warrior to grow wings and fly off, or that's the feeling she got from looking into his visor. Before, it was a tad intimidating, but after solidifying their Master-Servant contract, Helena had found his faceless face more interesting than anything. She also no longer shirked from his at times piercing stares, such as the one that he was giving her now.

"That would be a meaningless expansion of my energies." He spoke.

The seventeen-year-old grinned. "Hm, that might have worked back in the past…but that's going to be changing." In a second, she'd jumped onto her feet and grabbed the knight by the arm. Dragging him a meager five feet, she brought him over to the balcony where she reached up and threw an arm around his shoulder as she leaned forward, bringing him with her. "When we're off mingling with all of those people down there, you're going to need to look like, ya' know, a normal person, even if you're not."

If he could, he'd have blinked. "Why on earth would I feel the need to walk amongst the human masses? My mere existence would-"

"Have a bunch of folks down there crapping their pants. Got that much." Spoke the long-haired sister. Her hair was long, long enough to stretch down to the middle of her back. Unlike the battle last night, it was loose and wild, stray white blonde strands sticking out and swaying in the wind. Her eyes, though turquoise blue like her father's, held the same glint as her mother's golden orbs. "You're not going to be spending _all _of your time fighting monsters and weirdoes. While you're our Servant, you're going to live, and living means mingling! Lucky for you, you've got people like me and Ryoko watching over you, teaching you! And your first lesson is coming up!"

"It is?" There was a mild surprise in the swordsman's voice borne from the witch's words.

"Yep, see…I'm…well, since you're my Servant and Ryoko's, guess that means you're pretty much invited." Spoke the teenage girl. She cast a glance back toward the room, where she listened intently for any discerning sounds. Her parents were awake, but her sister was thankfully still sleeping. Sighing in relief, she looked back at Koragg, now leaning on the railing. "Tomorrow is Ryoko's birthday."

"…"

"Koragg?"

"…What?"

"Did you hear me? Tomorrow is my sister's birthday! Talk about weird-ass timing! We find ourselves pulled into a-"

"Birthday…what is that?"

Another early morning blew through the city, rousing its residents awake, or at least those who hadn't already been awake. On the surface, everything seemed tranquil, but such was the nature of New York City, which had seen more than its fair share of horrific tragedies. A scuffle between otherworldly powers…such a thing had happened before, but never in the open as what had transpired the night before. The scars would heal in time, but Chaldea was doing what it could to make that process go just a tad bit…faster. Life went on, come what may.

And part of that life was…celebrations apparently.

Helena looked at her Servant with eyes naked with shock. "Huh? What do you mean what's a birthday? It's a day you celebrate being born! It's right there in the name!"

Quietly, the dark knight berated himself for not making the connection instantly. As Helena had said, it was in the name, but the finer details were still eluding him. "And that is…important?"

The seventeen-year-old's stare went long as the hum of the Big Apple rose up around them. Koragg stared back at her, having realized that she was studying him.

Once she finished, her face fell, a sigh of disappointment escaping her lips. "_Merde_, you're not joking. If you don't know what a birthday is…I'm gonna guess you don't know a lot about anything outside of fighting."

"Again, I was created to be a warrior, nothing more and nothing less." He repeated, a slight edge in his voice. "Helena, what exactly is so special about a birthday, so one celebrates the day they are born? What of it?"

"That's just it, you celebrate that person's life. All that they've done, all the people they've gotten to know, the fact that they made it through another year in this big wide crazy world. It's especially important for people like us, people who…live a dangerous lifestyle." She could see and hear far better than the average human, her senses were practically superhuman thanks to her mother's heritage. There were times such abilities were a blessing…and times when Helena wished they didn't work quite as well. She'd never call them a curse. When in the "aftermath phase", such as this, she sometimes found her attention drifting to the masses. In this case, right in front of the massive, hotel walked a multitude of people from all walks of life, going about their daily business in spite of what had happened last night, and arguably what was to come. "You're a warrior, right? Surely you feel a little bit of pride in knowing that you made it through another day? That in this crazy world you made it through another year, and there are people around you to celebrate that, because they're happy that you're alive. Celebrating your life…that's what a birthday is." In a flash, she stood up, pointing to herself with a chirpy grin. "By the way, my birthday's March second, so you're late to celebrate mine by four months."

"Celebrate…one's life." Mused the knight. Helena kept her glee in moderation as she could tell that the swordsman was now intrigued. She wasn't too surprised, ever since he'd been summoned, she'd been quietly getting a read on the being who she and her sister were now bound to. The apt summary of him was that he was a warrior and nothing else; it was their job to change that. Koragg turned his gaze back over the rail and looked out over the city. "A…birthday…that's something that humans celebrate, correct?"

"Yep, or at least most of them. Out there, you've got some sour pussies that don't like celebrating theirs, though sometimes life is just so sucky that you don't feel like you have much to celebrate. That's why you have friends and family, especially ones that give you tons of cool presents." Continued the teenage witch.

"Presents?"

"Yeah, presents! Part of celebrating a birthday is showing that person how much you appreciate their presence, and you do that with a birthday present! Oh, and usually a cake!" Helena further explained, feeling like she was making traction.

She was. "Presents, gifts…and…pastries…I see. So a birthday is a celebration that humans partake in to celebrate one's life."

"And demons, and really anything that has a birthday that can be marked on the calendar." Laughed long-haired teen. With a wink, she lightly bumped her fist against the knight's armored chest. "Even you've got one."

"What?"

"Like I said, a birthday is the day you're born. Everything that has life has to come into this world on some day of the week on some part of the month on some part of the year. Even you. You said you were created to be a warrior, but there has to be a _date_ when you were made, right?"

A spark ignited within the Morlock's mind. "I…have a…birthday? A day I was…" For the first time since his arrival in this version of the world, Koragg thought back to his…conception, his birth so to speak. As Helena had said, all things that were alive had a date of birth, even artificial beings like him. So that means that… "I…suppose you are…right."

"Well, what is it? Tell me so I can start making plans!" Exclaimed the seventeen-year-old with a grin that deeply puzzled the Knight Wolf.

Quickly, he shook his head. "My date of birth is not a concern. Should you wish to know it, surely you can delve into the depths of my Servant history to find it. There are more important things to turn our focus to."

Her face turned into a pout and her hands went to her hips. Koragg looked down at her, resulting in a slight clash of wills between the two. "Look, I'm not trying to blow off what happened last night. I know damn well it's only the start of what's going to be one long shitstorm…but I'm not going to let that get in the way of celebrating my little sister's fifteenth birthday. More so since…well…" Owing to the truth of her words, Helena's face fell as a shadow came over it. Koragg was taken back, but not for long. He'd found that Helena was rather open about her feelings, especially in the presence of her allies, which he technically counted as. He could see the worry on her face as she contemplated what the future held for them all.

As she said, what happened last night was merely the beginning, not a one-off occurrence. What Koragg knew but slightly dreaded was that whatever this new Holy Grail War held…it would make the scuffles of last night look like a market street dispute.

Would they live another year? Would there be anything to celebrate?

Asking those questions, Koragg felt like he could more firmly wrap his mind around the concept of a birthday and the celebratory effort that went into it.

"If tomorrow is her birthday, then you'd best act fast so she is…pleased with the results." He spoke, directing his words to Helena but keeping his gaze directed on the sea of steel skyscrapers in front of him.

"Yeah, I know. Time definitely isn't being kind to us; even Ida can't stop it. That said…we'll figure out a way, won't we?"

He showed visible confusion at the smile she directed toward him…also her word choice. "We?"

Again, her hands were on her hips. "Yeah 'we'. You too, you're now part of the Fujimaru Family so you get in on the celebrations, especially since Ryoko's your Master too!"

"I…"

"Not to mention, you helped keep her alive so she could proudly say that she made it to fifteen." Added the blue-eyed teenager, leaning forward with a challenging grin. "I mean, you are happy that Ryoko is alive, right?"

"…As one of my Masters, yes. Her continued survival and yours are what I aim to achieve." Responded the Underworld native.

"And if we make it through a really tough battle and come out alive, don't cha' think that may also be something worth celebrating?" Pressed the teenager, her grin somehow growing wider to the point Koragg began to wonder if it would split her face. And it was making him feel uncomfortable.

"…I'll help."

Without warning, the teenager bumped her arms into the air then threw them around the Knight Wolf. To say that he was confused would have been an understatement. It wasn't like he _resisted _her hug, it was just…it brought back memories, memories that he didn't want interfering with the here and now. On the other hand, it was the insistence of those memories that had led him to where he was, his desire to make sense of them and the feelings that they invoked. That strangeness, that…warmth as he'd come to call it, it came back to him as he listened to the teenager expresses her gratitude towards him.

Somehow, he managed to find his voice in spite of the confusion swirling about within him. "Helena, from what I understand…doesn't that also mean that I will have to…give Ryoko a gift?"

"Yeah, you do." She laughed, stepping back giving him some room to breathe. "Don't worry, since this is your first time, we'll stick to something light like maybe a birthday card or something."

"…That counts as a gift?" He openly questioned, causing the teenager to giggle in amusement.

⊲**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx()o o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::⊳**

"Well, that went well, better than I expected." Remarked the veteran Master with a light chuckle. Watching from the shadows was something he'd never been able to do, but working for Chaldea had taught him how to do so. Being a parent to two growing girls had helped him perfect the skill. It was an ability he vastly enjoyed, as did his wife.

Having listened in on most of the conversation, she was quietly digesting its contents. First off, it confirmed a nagging suspicion that she'd had about the Servant her daughters had summoned. The moment she laid eyes on him, she couldn't quite place it, but she felt some sort of odd kinship with the dark warrior. He was a being of pure darkness just as she had once been, yet there was something there, something that had perhaps called out to her daughters; or maybe they'd called out to him. They were after all her daughters as well as Ritsuka's. The latter had practically made a career out of doing so, and miraculously, finding light in the darkest abyss. Her head found the familiar crux of his shoulder as she reminisced about that strange but secretly wondrous ability of the man she loved, and quietly hoped it had indeed been passed down onto their children.

"So, any idea what we can do for her this year?" Spoke the fashion designer in a quiet, lackadaisical voice.

"Nothing wrong with a trip to the beach. Been a while since we done that." Answered the building designer.

The long-haired woman looked up to her husband with a slight grin. "Better be a private party. At least we were able to get something half-assed put together before this shit storm started up. Speaking of which…"

Chuckling while looking at her wife, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Might as well get some breakfast before I have to 'head in'. Something tells me today is going to be anything but fun."

A familiar hand wrapped around his waist. "You're right, it's going to suck, but better it sucks for us together than apart." She could see that her husband was trying hard to suppress the hearty laugh that was building in his throat. She rolled her eyes and lightly heated up her finger, then jabbed at his side. It probably barely registered as a bleep at best since he'd gotten used to her antics, and her. "So, you're getting into the recruitment game, huh?"

"Everyone does tell me that I have a way with people. Besides, once you catch a glimpse of the Moonlit World…well…"

"No one ever goes back, but that's not the point of this, is it?" It was less of a question and more of a statement. The former Servant's golden eyes stared long and hard into the turquoise-blue of her lover. There was clearly no beating around the bush with the topic of their current discussion. Something in her told her that more talks like this would be had in the future, and not just between them but the rest of the magus world as well. Dealing with the heads of said world was going to be nothing short of a massive headache for her, her husband, and the rest of Chaldea. "So, we got a couple of meetings, including one with a mysterious new Servant, planning for Ryoko's birthday, and making sure that nothing goes wrong tonight. Looks like it's going to be another normal day at work."

"Heh, and you'll be with me throughout the whole day." Haughty laughter slipped through the former Servant. Next came the light peck on the cheek that caused the veteran Master to blush, if only just a little. She wasn't the only one to blush when shown the barest hints of affection. "Suppose we might as well get started in getting ready. Every second of daylight counts, right?"

While she didn't verbalize it, Joan had a sinking feeling that statement was going to become more true than her husband could have ever known. And yet…something told her that the darkness wouldn't be as dreadful as most feared it to be. After all, her oldest child was out on the balcony getting quite chatty and touchy-feely with a creature born from the darkness. What's more, as the light of dawn began to stretch across the metropolis and its inhabitants, something told her that a similar light was beginning to rise within the dark warrior, much as it had once done with her.

Only time would tell if that light was enough to combat whatever calamity was fast approaching.

* * *

_**Auten Plaza Restaurant, 7:52 AM…**_

Marcus Kingsley thought he was going to die.

Over the last forty hours, he'd waking up a second fearing for his life, even when he managed to escape death at the UN Building. Speaking of which, Marco wasn't exactly sure he'd ever be able to set foot in the building again without getting flashbacks of horrific monsters rising up from the shadows and gunning for him. How he'd managed to survive all of that still left him struggling to process it all. And then the answer popped into his head, he hadn't survived thanks to his own skills, but because of the sacrifice of another.

He'd been saved by a woman whose name he didn't know, whose origins he didn't know. As a former soldier, there's been plenty of times when he'd had his ass pulled out of the fire by a comrade; he made it a point to thank them for it, a trait passed down onto him by his parents. To the chestnut-eyed man, there was nothing worse than not being able to properly thank a person who saved his life.

But now, he had an uncomfortable feeling that the blonde woman had only prolonged his life, a momentary reprieve that was coming to an end. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the hotel restaurant that he'd found himself in. He was incredibly out of place.

While he'd eaten at fancy places before, namely when his sister's dating of her now-husband, who himself was a big shot doctor that he'd grown surprisingly tolerant of. If his brother-in-law were around, he might have subscribed to him some sort of anxiety medication, or directed him to a psychologist.

Marco knew that everything he'd seen that night was real though. All of it.

The second he'd gotten back to his apartment, his legs gave out and his stomach demanded that he expel all the vile that had been building in his throat. He specifically remembered dragging himself to the toilet then letting it out. After that, it took him close to an hour of washing his face before he was able to stand upright without wobbling, and then he dug into his frig for a cold beer which he almost downed in a single gulp. Following all of that, he made the call that the mysterious woman had instructed him to make. After that, well, after that he did everything in his power to make sense of what had just happened.

Going out for a walk led to a short stint of paranoia where he pondered if every person he saw on the street was a monster in disguise, or every shadow concealing another monstrosity waiting to spring forth and gut him. Even doing something as simple as ordering food to eat for lunch resulted in him doing constant sweeps around his area like he was in a war-zone.

At the height of it all, was his burning refusal to call in and report everything he'd just seen. Exactly who was he supposed to call or tell? The police? When dawn broke, he tried to get in contact with his coworkers and the chief of security, but none of his calls went through. Marco was no fool and knew exactly what such things usually meant; it was also why he went the rest of the day feeling like any second death was going to find him. Reinforcing his thoughts were his return home where he found that his apartment building had…undergone an incident while he was away. He was safe, but not ignorant of what was happening around him, although he was ignorant of what it was, he was now caught up in. Marco hoped he'd maybe get some answers before he died.

Apparently, he was also going to get fed with a hearty breakfast.

His first impulse had been to run. Marco would have run if a man and woman dressed in black hadn't seized him by the shoulders and told him to come with them if he wanted to live. Needless to say, he did and that was how he ended up spending the night in a safe house, scared out of his mind. Not helping were the reports of fighting that he heard whispered amongst his "overseers". What he'd witnessed at the UN Building had come to fruition, but whoever these people were, they'd been there to stop it. That made him feel just a tiny bit better, but still left him wondering who the hell these people were. When morning came, he had a feeling some of his questions would be answered, hopefully.

Pulled out of bed, told to get dressed then drive across town into a fancy upscale hotel whose lobby he had been escorted through. Not once did Marco say a word as the elevator climbed up some twenty stories and deposited him and his escorts right in front of a built-in restaurant. Barely anyone paid him any mind as he was walked towards a table in the center facing out toward the cityscape. When he sat down, he could tell he was to wait on someone. Who that someone was, well, Marco could only guess. He looked at the waiters and cooks as if they were cooking up poison, which was going to be served to him.

"Mr. Kingsley? Marco Kingsley, right?" Called a male voice that put the former Navy Seal's body on full alert. His heart skipped a beat as he snapped around, focusing his brown eyes on the source of the voice.

Japanese, middle-aged, perhaps in his early to mid-forties. He certainly didn't look threatening, a kind smile on his face and zero sense of malice in his turquoise eyes. His suit held no tie, but it was finely pressed neat, he gave off the air of a seasoned professional yet his mood was easy-going, warm-like. Though combed, his jet-black hair was a tad bit spiky, a trait he'd found surprisingly common amongst Japanese men, young and older. This man possessed a suit for professional meetings such as this. He stood between two other women, both of whom caught Marco's eye; they were dead opposites.

First up was the woman with violet-colored eyes, unusually violet-colored eyes, and short pale lavender hair. Her clothing was a tad darker than the male's. In fact, her suit vaguely looked like armor plating, or perhaps that might have just been his exhausted eyes playing tricks on him. When she looked at him, she did her best to give him a warm smile, an attempt to comfort him. It was a stark contrast to the other woman at the man's side.

Never had he seen anyone with hair as pale as hers, or skin as pale either, yet she was brimming with life. And danger. The second her golden eyes fell upon him, Marco instantly felt fear seize his heart and squeeze it. Her face morphed into a dismissive sneer as she stepped forward, taking a seat to his left and crossing her arms in the same dismissive manner. "If you're thinking of pissing your pants, go right on ahead. Can't exactly blame you, plus it's preferable that you get it out of the way before we go any further." Marco felt absolutely no desire to challenge this mysterious woman; in fact, he felt an overwhelming impulse to jump from the table and get as far away as possible from her. She seemed to be radiating some sort of fiery aura that had him sweating in his seat.

"Joan." Spoke the Japanese man, taking a seat. "No need to scare the man."

"Pretty sure he's already scared, just look at him. Don't tell me that you can't sense it as well." Her sneer quickly morphed in a dark smile that had the former Navy Seal's heart grinding to a halt. This woman, he didn't know how or why, but she was dangerous; she radiated the same sort of wicked power as the monsters he'd encountered in the United Nations Building, only in a human guise. Was she even human? "Hey, Kingsley, right? You served in the Navy, right? That's all well and good…but what you saw the other night, afraid to say it makes anything and everything you saw in the service look like a stroll through the woods. If you want to back out now-"

"I want answers!" He didn't mean for his words to come out as a shout, but they did. This woman was mocking him. Even if she had the power to perhaps kill him in the blink of an eye, his pride demanded he do something, say something. "I want answers on what the hell were those things! How the hell did I get teleported to safety!? Who the hell are you people!? What the hell is going on!?"

"We're Chaldea, Chaldea Security Organization." Spoke the man, not looking at all perplexed by his outburst. He appeared to have been expecting his outburst. "Mash." At his request, the shorter woman laid out a folder in front of him. "First off, I'll skip to the heart of the issue, what you saw two nights ago were demons. Yes, demons as in monsters from the pits of hell and such. Magic, or as it's known as Magecraft, exists." At the end of his right index finger, a golden blaze was lit, causing Marco's jaw to drop.

To his side, the short-haired platinum blonde let out a laugh before leaning forward. She held up her right index finger and lit a flame at the tip. Unlike the Japanese man's, hers was pitch-black and deep violet. The two contrasting flames seemingly danced and called out to one another.

"Hey! Ritsuka, Joan, don't hog all the fun yourselves!" Called a female voice, one ringing with laughter.

It was at that moment Marcus Kingsley's world fully shattered.

Sparks of lightning, orbs of light, metal forks and knives and spoons bending and levitating, _food _levitating, all manner of otherworldly phenomena that was saved for the TV screen and novels unfolded before his eyes. His jaw dropped as he looked at the other restaurant patrons; some of them were visibly taking enjoyment in his bewilderment while others were merely carrying on with their breakfast. Even some of the waiters were emoting in spite of carrying on with their duties.

Slowly, he looked back at the trio in front of him. The two women were giggling and the man was giving him an apologetic smile.

"Magecraft, that's the technical term. It's not magic, but at times it can be pretty damn close. My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru, a magus and long-time member of Chaldea. This woman right here," he indicated to the gold-eyed European woman. "Is my wife, Joan. She's a witch and a former Servant. This woman here," Next he motioned to the purple-eyed woman. "Is Mash Kyrielight, one of my Servants, also known as Servant Shielder." Looking at her, he gave the girl a quick nod indicating for her to stand up.

She did so, and in a glimmer of azure wisps and sparkles, her attire changed into clothing that vaguely reminded Marco of knightly armor. Armor plating, including a plated skirt that somehow fit with the whole outfit. And then there was the shield, a giant cross-shaped shield as big as a full-grown adult, and weighed as much. The second it touched the floor, the entire thing shook, giving off the impression that the entire building was shaking. Macro jumped from his seat and stared at the now identified woman in slack-jawed shock and wide eyes, then looked back at the Japanese man.

"Like I said, it's a lot to take in. Trust me." He said.

"Y-You think?! W-What are you?! S-Some sort of super society or something?"

"Yep." Ritsuka answered in a flipped tone. "As you can see there, we're also sanctioned by the UN, in fact, it's our job to deal with incidents like what happened two nights ago, incidents that you were at ground zero for." Putting out the flame, he pointed to the unopened folder and folds within. He was being patient, as were his two associates.

Hands shaking, Marco reached for the folder and cracked it open. Being a bit of a speedy reader, he began going over every word of the documents within. Each one, each sentence, made his head spin faster and faster and his already-widen eyes grow wider and wider to the point he felt like it was going to spin right off of his shoulders and his eyeballs popped out of their sockets. Three minutes later and he let the folder drop from his hands onto the table, his back leaning against the chair he was in.

"Alright, so…you guys are…magecraft, magic, whatever…it's your job to handle all of that, right?"

"More or less." Shrugged the Japanese adult. "Mr. Kingsley, if you-"

"I want in."

"Hah! So you've got some balls after all!" Remarked the witch with a Cheshire grin. "Hey, now that that's out of the way, we're ready to take our orders!"

"M-Mister Kingsley, a-are you sure about this?" The shield-bearing woman began, a look of concern on her face. "T-This-"

"Is the kind of weird shit that will stay with me for the rest of my life." Calmly cut off the former security guard after regaining most of his composure, laying his hands flat on the table. It took a few minutes of breathing in and out to catch himself. Looking ahead, he saw that Ritsuka and Mash's gazes were ringed with worry. "Look, I know what I'm getting into will probably make my time in the service look like a walk in the park like your wife said…but…what happened last night, I can't just turn my back on it. Besides…" Down went his eyes, his fingers curling into tight fists. "The woman who saved me…she was one of your agents, wasn't she?"

"Audrey Hewitt." Answered the Japanese man, his eyes shut in mournful remembrance. "We…we found traces of her body."

Traces. That was a line he'd heard all too often, and it was one of the worst possible things to hear. At the very least, it told him a bit about what he was getting into. Like with the Navy, working for this Chaldea would more than likely involve him putting his life on the line with the risk of him not coming back at all.

In other words, nothing new.

"So…any paperwork that I'm going to have to fill out?" Spoke the former seal, looking the younger man in the eye. Twenty-plus years in the service and he'd learned how to tell a few things from looking men and women in the eye. When he looked into Ritsuka Fujimaru's eyes, he was reminded of a good deal of his commanding officers, eyes that had seen much and a will that stood strong against adversity.

Completing his theorizing was the light-hearted laugh that broke from his lips. "Plenty, but all of that can wait for afterward. And when I put you in contact with our superiors."

"Once you meet them, don't feel too bad if you start reconsidering joining up." Snickered the woman known as Joan Fujimaru. "Oh, and all of this will be put on hold until after the day after tomorrow. We've got plans."

"Plans? What kind of plans?" Questioned the male brunette, puzzled. Mash stifled a giggle while Ritsuka nervously scratched his cheek, averting his gaze. "Um, how's about you just tell me the need-to-know stuff over breakfast. You mentioned Servant several times, what the hell do you mean by that? What's a Servant?"

Taking a deep breath, Ritsuka held up his right hand, revealing for the first time a set of crimson-colored markings on the back of his hand. Marco's first impulse was to call them tattoos, but upon closer examination, he realized they were anything but that. They were visibly pulsing with power.

"When I try explaining all of this, please try hard not to spit out your food." Declared the black-haired man. "Oh, and welcome to the Moonlit World, you'll be staying here for the rest of your life."

Was that a welcome or a condemnation?

* * *

_**Downtown Manhattan, 8:13 AM…**_

Koragg didn't exactly protest going out and thus leaving the safety of the Auten Hotel and surrounding area. After all, he highly doubted their enemy would make a move after last night, or at least he hoped that they wouldn't. He had no wish to have another battle in the midst of such a crowded place such as the streets of Downtown Manhattan.

The streets themselves were a point of great curiosity for the Morlock.

He'd heard that except for the most dire of circumstances, the streets of New York City were never empty, be it day or night. That certainly held true as he silently trailed his Masters, observing the streets which their party passed through. There were dozens of people out, hundreds, men and women who were carrying on with their lives, ignorant of the titanic battle that had unfolded the night before.

_Surprised? _Chirped the oldest Dragon Witch, her voice tinged with amusement.

_They know nothing of what transpired last night. I…believe it is for the best that they do not know, that they never find out. _Responded the dark knight.

_Part of ensuring they never find out is Chaldea's job. Or at least, it's the one that the Magus Association dumped on us. _Ryoko wasn't holding back in hiding the disdain in her voice for the magi-composed organization. Koragg didn't really blame her as like his young Master, he wasn't overly fond of the organization either. Speaking of which, he was sure they'd already been notified of his existence.

_Your four are taking last night's battle and surrounding events surprisingly well. _

_Worrying about the future starts after breakfast. _Helena spoke, silently aware of the slight hypocrisy in her words.

Choosing to let said hypocrisy slide, Koragg pressed the other half of the subject. _You have chosen to eat outside of the hotel, away from your parents. _

_Dad will call us up when he needs up, probably when he goes to talk to that Ruler Servant. I mean, it's pretty obvious that we're going to cross paths with him eventually. Hopefully not as enemies. _Noted the older sister. _Before all of that, it was clear that he and mom had stuff to do and we didn't want to be in the way. Besides, this gives us a chance to get out and see the city! It gives you the chance to do the same! You're enjoying yourself, aren't you? _

Enjoyment is not the word that Koragg would have used…but he was…learning. Hovering over the traveling car, he gave some of his attention to the streets and crowds that his Masters and their friends passed through. They put any sense of "traffic" he'd seen in the Underworld to shame by a wide margin. And there was nary a fight or blood splatter in sight, something that was almost unheard of in his homeland. Furthering the distinction were the tones of the conversations he picked up, none of it involved fighting or bloodshed or scheming of any sort. Well, not all of them, but nothing compared to the vile whispers that Morlocks seemed to indulge in, no doubt fueled by the day-to-day harshness of their lifestyle. Such a life was alien to these people, it didn't exist altogether in some ways.

Unlike other members of his race, Koragg felt no repulsion at that fact, only an ever-growing sense of curiosity.

His Masters were another source of curiosity. It was them and Akara and Ida, both of whom had made good use of the night to heal their injuries and regain their strength. Listening in on the conversation, Koragg noted something about Ida not requiring glasses this time around; the reason for such a statement no doubt lay in her Mystic Eyes, which could be overtaxed just like any other special ability. They were…their laughter and jubilant mood in the aftermath of a fight that had put their lives on the line…Koragg found something oddly admirable in it. The type of beings he had company for would have been either sulking or training to the bone to ensure the next encounter with the enemy ended in a solid victory, he himself being in the latter category.

Instead, he was observing.

Life continued on in spite of the earthquakes and explosions rocked Manhattan the night before. People still woke up, people still went out to eat, and went to work. Quite a few people had chosen to go out to eat in spite of the dangers it could have posed. One thing Koragg had learned was that humans could be nothing if not audacious, his Masters being two prime examples.

Speaking of which, he made sure to keep an eye on them, even as he felt himself being lulled into a state of ease. They had enemies out there, dangerous enemies who could strike at any time, a fact he couldn't afford to forget. Especially since they'd encountered a Saber and a Lancer, there were likely five other enemy Servants out there, including an Assassin.

Luckily, they had an Assassin of their own on hand, he was serving as the driver.

An ancient Chinese outlaw driving a car full of eight teenagers to go get breakfast. One had to wonder what sort of life they had to have stumbled into for such a thing to be considered normal; it was certainly normal compared to some of the more outlandish scenarios that could play out in Chaldea. Koragg watched them all chatting so freely, laughing with such merriment that you wouldn't know they'd just accepted a declaration of war mere hours ago. It was nothing short of fascinating to the knight, who followed them all as a silent spirit into the diner that they'd chosen to eat at.

While everyone else, including Yang Qing took a seat, Helena placed their orders. As usual, she was very upfront and direct girl, much like the Mystic Force Ranger whose elemental affinity she shared. Koragg noted that was perhaps one thing that might have drawn him towards the young witch.

Upon finishing her order, she turned back and looked at him. He could tell that she was looking _directly _at him, something he found a tad…unsettling.

_Your eyes…_Thought the dark knight with modest amusement. _You truly are one who holds little back, especially when seeking to connect with someone. You're going through a lot of trouble to connect to me. _

Sensing a surging pulse of witchcraft, he turned his gaze to his left. His "group" if it could be called that had taken a seat outside in the early morning sunshine. He recognized what the approaching spell was meant to do, cloak him from the naked eye. Koragg was perfectly capable of doing that himself, but he chose to accept the offered hand of his youngest Master.

She was sitting with Akara, Ida, and Yan Qing, all dressed in casual summer clothing. Somewhat nervously, he allowed himself to physically materialize. The spell Ryoko had set up shielded him from the eyes of the humans, meaning he didn't have to worry about being pointed at and screams reaching up to the high heavens and calls to the authorities.

"Geez, twenty-four-hour armor, huh?" Ida offered, leaning forward a hand on her cheek and lazy grin.

"This is my true form." Koragg spoke, sparing a side glance to Yan Qing. He'd actually put a shirt on, a t-shirt, and left his blue-tinted gauntlets behind and tied his hair a pony-tail.

"Even so, don't you have anything for, I don't, casual wear? Like Yan Qing?" Akara echoed. Koragg could see a thin layer of magical energy running through the bandages that ran over his left arm and across his face and around his forehead. Camouflage, no doubt to prevent unwanted questions regarding his appearance.

"I repeat, this is my true form, it is the form I was born with and the form that I will show to the world when revealing myself." Repeated the dark knight, taking a seat and crossing his arms, somewhat annoyed at having to repeat himself. How many times would he have to clarify that he is a knight? A warrior? There was nothing wrong with his appearance and he wished that his comrades would stop implying that there was something wrong with it.

They all looked at him with varying degrees of amusement, the biggest being Ida and Yan Qing. The more they smiled at him, the more irritated Koragg became. What was he, some sort of specimen to be examined?

"I am taking my leave since it seems I am not needed."

"Nope, sorry. Not happening." Ryoko spoke up with a blank face. "You're having breakfast with us."

"You're part of the group, so might as well get used to it." Chuckled the black-haired Thai teenager. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you've never had breakfast before, have you?"

"I…I never had a need to consume physical food, and I surely do not possess the need as a Servant." Replied the Morlock.

"Shouldn't stop you from doing it." Laughed the Chinese outlaw. "Just because we're Servants doesn't mean that we can't live like ordinary people! That's part of the fun of being summoned into the modern world, and having cool Masters like these kids!"

"My duty is to protect them."

"And you can protect us…while also getting to know us, and lightening up a little bit." A thin smile formed on the lips of his youngest Master. The girl's usual reserved attitude made these small moments of open joy somewhat more enjoyable. When she smiled and laughed, Koragg found a greater comparison to her older sister, both of them possessed a certain warmth to them. "Besides, you're here, in the modern world surrounded by people who want to get to know you a little. Now's the time to live a little, and you don't always need a sword and some baddies to fight to do that."

The words struck a chord in the knight, who stared somewhat dumbfounded at the group before him. Needless to say, they were as far from his fellow Morlocks as one could get, and he didn't just mean in terms of species.

"Exactly, little sister, so let's start living!" Boomed the voice of the oldest Dragon Witch. The two Servants and three humans all caught a whiff of the trays of freshly cooked food that she was balancing in her hands. Several years of growing up, and attempting several oddball stunts, had left her somewhat of a pro at the balancing game as it could be called. "Alright, Koragg gets first bite!" Her declaration caused the knight startled, barely.

"What? Why me?" Immediately questioned the dark magic-user.

"Because you're the newest member, duh." Ida began with an easy smirk.

"And you've never tasted human food before." Akara echoed with a slight grin. "Come on, I'm sure you can open up your faceplate. Probably got a row of sharp teeth just like me, right?"

He did. Contrary to what many thought…he did have a mouth, just one usually covered by his faceplate leading to the common assumption that he possessed no mouth, tongue, or teeth. While he did, it wasn't like they were needed. Koragg had no need to use them to breathe, yet another part of his biology that made him somewhat unique.

Now, he was being presented with an opportunity to use them, and before an audience. Never in all his life did he think that such a thing would happen. Before him lay a plate of food, pancakes he believed they were called, all freshly cooked and topped with a strange substance he didn't know the name of. Wait, was it called syrup?

Koragg looked up at his Masters, their friends, and his fellow Servant. All of them were waiting for him to take the first bite, to being the meal. He had no idea what he was doing, but Koragg the Knight Wolf was a man of action, if an opening blow was to be made, then he'd make it.

The five leaned in and watched in awe as the silver face plate slid open, revealing a row of surprisingly human teeth save for four sharpen, canine fangs fit for a wolf. In a single gulp, they downed the sliced up chunks of pancakes and chewing could be heard. A minute passed, then the processed repeated itself. Koragg said nothing as he chewed, not stopping until he'd devoured a full pancake and was about to move onto the second. He noticed the stares continued to aim at him.

"Well? Eat, all of you. We know not what the day will bring us so it's best we eat now and be full then have something come up later and be regretting it." He spoke in his usual direct and masculine voice.

Ida shot a fist into the air while Akara leaned back and chuckled, a stark contrast to the rather childish snickering of Yan Qing. Helena and Ryoko grinned, their faces brimming with joy before slapping their open palms against one another. Koragg had seen the act before amongst his human enemies, usually as some sort of goodwill gesture. Seeing it up close and performed for an act he committed…it felt…refreshing. As did the food he was currently eating.

Last night, he was a warrior of the darkness, fighting creatures of the dark. Today…he didn't know what he was…but he was okay with it. He liked the company of his Masters and his new companions, all basking in the light of the morning sun.

Well, almost. He was still cloaked and hiding, but the point stood.

* * *

**A cooldown and feel good chapter, that's what I went with in light of everything. Now, it should be obvious that all of this is the calm before the storm and yes, everyone is trying to enjoy themselves before the shit starts hitting the fan, which, dear readers, it will. Oh boy, will it. Until then, or rather in-between those harsh times, enjoy the good times when they fall into your lap. Trust me on this, those happy moments can be what helps keeps you going, even in the darkest times. **

**This chapter introduced three new, or shall I say, old faces, Diabolico, Loki, and Vypra from Lightspeed Rescue! Hey, the word "Dark" is in the title and one of the main characters is one of the franchise's top noble demon characters, a category that Diabolico (ironic given his name) fits into. The three were some of my favorites, especially Diabolico who quite literally kept Lightspeed from potentially ending on the series' first real bittersweet note. On the subject of them, fun fact, in Lightspeed's Super Sentai version, all of the demons are one family, the villainous Psyma Family with Bansheera's Japanese counterpart as the matriarch. Also, Diabolico, Loki, and Vypra's Super Sentai counterpart's are modeled after elements, wind, earth, and water making them fit the classical arrangement of sky, land, and sea. Olympius' attention makes them fit the classical four elements lineup by the way. Anyways, the three will be recurring characters, but I'll keep quiet if they end up being friends or foes. They're definitely going to be getting in on the action. **

**As it was stated, Ryoko's birthday is coming up in-story and it'll be the next event, another part of the cooldown. Don't worry though, next chapter will start to see some plot developments that I'm sure some of you may be hungering for. Until then, stay safe, healthy, and depending on where you live, please stay indoors. Until the next chapter, everyone!**


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